Christmas raffle for an Irish charity: the rules

How to run a Christmas raffle for your Irish charity: the narrow exemption (€1,000, €5 tickets, 1,500 tickets), the Garda permit and what to ask GRAI.

In short A Christmas raffle can work well for an Irish charity, but the law is narrow. Without a permit you are limited to €1,000 in prizes, €5 tickets and 1,500 tickets. Above that, apply to the Gardaí 60 days ahead. GRAI says its charitable licence is not open in 2026. Anything unconfirmed goes to the Gardaí or GRAI.

Few things feel more like an Irish December than a raffle: a table of hampers, a bucket of tickets and a neighbour who wins the ham every year. It is also a regulated activity, and the rules are in the middle of a change. This guide sets out what we could confirm on 9 October 2026 and where you need to ask.

Is a raffle the right fundraiser for your charity?

A raffle suits a charity with a local following, a few generous prize donors and a team that can sell tickets for 3 to 4 weeks. It is a poor fit if you have no time to check the rules.

Before you commit, be honest about these points.

  • Prizes: donated prizes keep your costs low.
  • Sellers: you need 5 to 10 volunteers who are comfortable asking people to buy tickets.
  • Timing: if you need a permit, you must start at least 60 days before your first ticket goes on sale.

For other formats, see our Christmas fundraising ideas for Irish charities.

What is the narrow exemption for a small raffle?

The older rules allow a small lottery without a permit, but only inside tight limits. We treat these figures as the safe ones, taken from the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 as amended. The current text on the Law Reform site may not be fully up to date, so treat it as a guide and confirm it.

  • Total prizes of no more than €1,000.
  • Tickets of no more than €5 each.
  • No more than 1,500 tickets.
  • A charitable or philanthropic purpose, with no personal profit for the organiser.
  • No other lottery under the exemption in the previous 3 months.

If a raffle meets all five, no permit is needed under that exemption. If it breaks even one, assume you need a permit.

Why is there a €2,000 figure on the GRAI website?

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) lists a similar exemption with a prize limit of €2,000 instead of €1,000. We could not confirm which limit applies to your raffle in December 2026, because the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is only partly in force.

So, keep your total prizes at €1,000 or under if you want to rely on the exemption. For anything between €1,000 and €2,000, ask the Gardaí or GRAI in writing and keep the reply with your event file.

How does the Garda lottery permit work?

If your raffle goes beyond the exemption, you apply for a lottery permit to the superintendent of the Garda district where you live. Under section 27B of the 1956 Act, the main points are these.

  • Apply at least 60 days before the first day of the lottery.
  • The superintendent decides within 28 days.
  • A permit is valid for up to 12 months.
  • Tickets cost no more than €10 each.
  • Total prizes are capped at €5,000, including several lotteries in the same week.
  • Nobody under 18 may take part, and each ticket must show the prize value.

Count back from your first ticket sale. For sales starting on 14 December, 60 days means applying by 15 October. If your date is earlier, ask the Gardaí what is possible, or stay inside the exemption.

What about the GRAI charitable licence?

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 allows a new charitable or philanthropic licence. GRAI says it is not envisaged that this licence will be open for applications in 2026, and that charities should keep applying under the current permit system.

In practice, for Christmas 2026 that means the Garda permit route is the one to use. Check the GRAI page again before you apply, because the position can change.

What do we not know, and who should you ask?

Several questions have no confirmed answer, and we will not guess. Put each one to the Gardaí or GRAI first.

  • The permit fee: we could not confirm what an application costs. Ask the Gardaí.
  • Online ticket sales: our sources are silent, so ask the Gardaí or GRAI.
  • A raffle at a market: we could not confirm that a raffle at a Christmas market follows the same rules as a standing one. Ask the Gardaí.
  • Which limit applies: €1,000 or €2,000, as explained above. Ask GRAI.

If you plan a raffle on a stall, our guide to a Christmas market stall for charity covers the wider questions about permits and pitches.

How do you plan the raffle itself?

Once the legal route is clear, the rest is practical. The wider plan in how to plan a Christmas fundraiser shows where a raffle fits.

  • 10 weeks out: decide the limits, ask your questions and apply for a permit if you need one.
  • 6 weeks out: ask local businesses for donated prizes and agree who will sell tickets.
  • 3 weeks out: print numbered tickets with the price, the draw date and your charity name.
  • Draw day: draw in front of witnesses, record the winning numbers and publish the winners.

Keep a simple record of tickets printed, tickets sold, money received and prizes awarded.

Which prizes work best?

People buy tickets for prizes they would actually want. Think of a Christmas hamper, a restaurant voucher or a meal for 2. A few good prizes beat a long table of odds and ends, and a public thank you makes donors say yes again.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

A raffle reaches the people who see your tickets. A WeGlow.world donation page reaches everyone else. Supporters give in 3 steps, once or monthly, on a phone, and you can set a thank you text that goes out after each gift.

Please do not use a donation page to sell raffle tickets. We could not confirm the rules for online ticket sales, so ask the Gardaí or GRAI first. Use the page for plain donations, with a QR code on posters and ticket stubs.

You can also ask a few supporters to start their own fundraiser page for your charity. Our 4 Christmas experiences are still a concept until the official launch, so treat them as something to look at. In Glow Room, every gift becomes a decoration on a 3D Christmas tree, which pairs nicely with a draw that ends the week before Christmas. See the Christmas fundraising hub, or sign up on WeGlow.world when you are ready.

FAQ

Do we need a permit for a small Christmas raffle in Ireland?

Not if you stay inside the narrow exemption: €1,000 in prizes, €5 tickets, 1,500 tickets, a charitable purpose, no personal profit and no other such lottery in the last 3 months. If you go beyond any limit, apply to the Gardaí.

How long does a Garda lottery permit take?

Apply at least 60 days before the first day. The superintendent decides within 28 days, and a permit is valid for up to 12 months. We could not confirm the fee, so ask the Gardaí.

Can a charity apply for the new GRAI charitable licence this year?

GRAI says it is not envisaged that this licence will be open for applications in 2026. Charities should keep applying under the current permit system. Check the GRAI website for any update.

Can we sell raffle tickets online?

We could not confirm this. Our sources do not say whether online ticket sales are allowed. Ask the Gardaí or GRAI in writing before you sell a single ticket online.

Can children buy or sell tickets?

Under a Garda permit, nobody under 18 may take part. For the small exemption we could not confirm an age rule, so ask the Gardaí, and keep sales to adults to be safe.

Sources

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