Register a small society lottery

About small society lotteries

You do not need a licence to hold a small society lottery, but you do need to register with us.

A small society lottery:

• is non-commercial
• has limits on the value of its ticket sales

A society is non-commercial if it's:

• for charitable purposes
• supporting or enabling participation in sport, athletics or a cultural activity
• any other non-commercial purpose not for private gain

Ticket sales must have:

• a total value of no more than £20,000 for a single lottery
• an aggregate value of no more than £250,000 for all lotteries in a calendar year

If the total value of lottery tickets is more than these amounts, you need a licence from the Gambling Commission.

When you do not need to register a lottery

You do not need to register:

• an incidental lottery such as a raffle at a non-commercial event like a school fete
• a private society lottery that’s only for members of a society or club
• a work or residents' lottery, as long as it follows the low-value, non-profit conditions and other rules specific to the category

For more information, visit the Gambling Commission website page  Types of lottery you can run without a licence

Read our guidance on small society lotteries:

Fees

Registration fee

The fee for a new registration is £40.

You can pay online during the registration or renewal process.

To pay by cheque, make it payable to The Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Renewal fee

The fee for a renewal is £20. 

You can pay your annual renewal fee in the 2-month period before your registration expires.

If you do not pay the renewal fee before the expiry date:

• your registration will lapse
• you’ll need to apply for a new registration to continue operating your lottery 

Register your lottery

To register your, you must do both of the following:

• register with us (if your main office is in Royal Greenwich), or with the licensing authority where your main office is located
• be registered for the entire time you're promoting the lottery

Register or renew online

You’ll need to create an account in our online licensing system, or sign in to your existing account:

Register or renew by post

To apply by post you need to:

• download and complete the application form
• complete a society constitution form. or submit a written statement or copy of your constitution confirming your society’s non-commercial purpose

Send the completed forms together with your licensing fee to Licensing at The Woolwich Centre.

Submit a return

After each lottery you hold, you must submit a ‘statement of return’ to us. This is a legal requirement.

You must:

• submit your returns no later than 3 months from the date of the lottery draw (or last draw)
• have the return signed by 2 appointed members of the society (aged over 18)
• include a copy of the signatories written appointment to the society

Submit a return online

Submit a return by post

Download, complete and return the lotteries and amusements returns form:

Change of promoter

 You must notify us immediately if your lottery promoter changes so we can keep your records up to date. This is a legal requirement.

Download, complete and return the notification of change of promoter for society lottery: