If your organisation wants to raise money by running a small lottery, you need to be registered with the Falkirk Council Licensing Board. If the main or principal office of your organisation in outwith the Falkirk Council area, you should register with the Licensing Board whose area it is in.

Small society lotteries are those run on behalf of a society which is established and conducted:

  • for charitable purposes
  • for the purpose of enabling participation in, or supporting of:
    • sport
    • athletics
    • or a cultural activity, or
  • for any other non-commercial purpose other than that of private gain.

You are not allowed to establish a society whose sole purpose is to run lotteries - it must have some other purpose.

Societies must be able to prove, both upon registration and throughout the period of the registration, that they are a bona-fide non-commercial society and that the proceeds of any lottery are devoted to those purposes.

The total value of tickets to be put on sale in a single lottery must not exceed £20,000. The aggregate value of tickets to be put on sale for all lotteries in a calendar year, must not exceed £250,000. If the promoter plans to exceed either of these values then they will be classed as a large lottery operator, and must be licensed with the Gambling Commission.

Within 3 months after the date on which the lottery is drawn, you must send the Licensing Board a statement giving details of the lottery.

Further information on running a small society lottery is available from the Gambling Commission.


How to register

You should read the guidance notes before filling in the application form to register your society.

Forms
Application form
Small societies return form
Guidance
Small society lottery guidance notes

Your completed application form and supporting documentation should be sent to: