8. Apply for Small Society Lottery registration
Who can apply
You can apply on behalf of a non-commercial society, such as:
- a charitable organization
- a society or club set up for, or supporting: sport, athletic of a cultural activity
Application and registration
Society lotteries can only be run for non-commercial purposes and not for personal or private gain
A society must be registered with a licensing authority throughout the period during which the lottery is promoted. Parts 4 and 5 of Schedule 11 of the Act set out the requirements for registration of small society lotteries.
The society is required to be registered with the licensing authority in the area where their principal office is located. If the licensing authority considers that the society’s principal office is situated in another area it shall inform the society as soon as possible and also notify the other appropriate licensing authority.
The application must be in the form prescribed by regulations and will need to be accompanied by fee of £40.00.
The licensing authority will record details of the society and keep the details on a register. Whilst this does not have to be a public register, the Gambling Commission have recommended that licensing authorities make the register available to the public on request.
As soon as the licensing authority has granted the registration, we will notify the applicant and inform the Commission accordingly.
How much does it cost
The application fee for initial registration is £40. Once registered the society needs to pay an annual fee of £20, this fee needs to be paid within two months before each anniversary of the date of registration.
Failure to pay the renewal fee is likely to result in the society’s registration being cancelled meaning that any lottery activity will be illegal unless and until a new application under the Gambling Act 2005 has been granted. It is the society’s responsibility to ensure the annual fee is paid on time. Once a registration has been cancelled it cannot be reactivated a fresh application would have to be made and a new application fee of £40 paid.
How to apply
If your non-commercial society wants to run a small society lottery you'll need to register this with us.
You'll need to fill in an application form and send this to us.
You'll need to know:
- the details of the society applying and whether they are a registered charity
- if the society has held an operating licence or had an operating licence refused or revoked
- contact details for correspondence