Christmas Festivities

Published: 14 November 2017 by David Inzani

Last modified: 29 June 2021

Top Tips - What promotions can you hold without the requirement of additional licences or permits?

As operators look to the festive season we are often asked to review a wide range of promotions and activities for both employees and customers alike.

The Gambling Act 2005 provides strict limitations and controls but many activities can still be provided, as long as the criteria are followed.

We have listed a few promotions that may be provided without the requirement for additional licences or permits:

Customer lotteries/raffles

• All the proceeds from ticket sales must be spent on the prizes, less deductions for reasonable expenses i.e. to cover the costs of the tickets. Customer lotteries are not therefore suitable for charity fundraising.  Premises can run charity raffles, but  there are limitations and they can only be provided as an incidental part of another event;
• Tickets must only be sold to customers whilst they are on the premises;
• The raffle must only be advertised on the premises and promotional material must not be circulated outside the premises;
• Each ticket must be sold by or on behalf of the management and not by an external promoter;
• Each ticket must state the name and address of the promotor/premises, the price of the ticket, confirm that the tickets are only available to customers of the premises and state that the tickets are non- transferable;
• The maximum value per ‘prize’ must not exceed £50 and can include cash or goods, or a mixture of both;
• There cannot be any rollover of the prizes to a draw at a later date;
• There can only be one draw per week.

Workplace lottery/raffle 

• The raffle must only be promoted by those working on a single set of premises;
• All players must also work on the premises;
• Proceeds can be used for charitable purposes;
• The raffle must only be advertised on or at the work premises;
• There cannot be a rollover  to another draw;
• No limit to stakes and prizes;
• Reasonable deductions can be made to cover expenses,  such as the cost of prizes and tickets;
• The venue cannot hold a gambling premises licence;

Casino style games

Depending on the type of game(s) being provided there can be strict stake and prize limits.  However, if your premises are only offering a “fun” roulette table without a prize being awarded this would not be considered gaming and is permitted.

Casino Nights where players pay to participate and win a prize can only be used to raise funds for charity and no profit can be retained for private gain, with all proceeds being donated to the good cause.   Games such as Blackjack and Roulette can be provided at these types of events but strict criteria must be followed and detailed advice guides can be obtained from the Gambling Commission’s website.