Christmas raffle in Belgium: the rules for your fundraiser

What can a Belgian association do without a permit at a Christmas raffle, when to ask the municipality, and when online tickets need a separate permit?

In short A Christmas raffle run by a recognised association in Belgium needs no permit, within hard limits: at most €5 per ticket, 1,000 tickets and €500 in prizes in kind. Above that, you ask your municipality for permission. Selling tickets online may need a separate permit from the National Lottery. Whatever is not confirmed, ask your municipality.

This article describes the rules in Belgium.

A raffle adds atmosphere to any Christmas fundraiser, but it is also the part where associations most often run into a rule. Below you will find what is confirmed, what is not, and which week to handle what. The limits are federal, so they apply in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.

What can you do without a permit?

A local raffle for a social or charitable cause needs no permit if your association is recognised by the municipal executive (the college of mayor and aldermen). You may hold one at most four times a year, at municipal level, and you stay within the limits of the Royal Decree of 13 September 2023.

At most €5 per ticket.
At most 1,000 tickets per raffle.
Prizes in kind only, with a market value of at most €500, sponsored prizes included.
At most 30 percent of the takings may go on costs, at least 70 percent goes to the cause.

In practice: with 1,000 tickets at €5, you raise at most €5,000, of which at least €3,500 goes to your cause. A raffle at your Christmas market fits easily, see the article on the charity Christmas market.

What does "recognised by the municipal executive" mean?

That recognition is the first condition, and this is exactly where municipalities differ. Which criteria a municipality uses is not established. Ask your municipality whether your association counts as recognised and which form it uses, well before you order tickets or ask for prizes.

When do you need a permit?

If you want to go beyond those limits, for example pricier tickets, more than 1,000 tickets or prizes worth more than €500, you ask the municipal executive for permission. This applies to raffles for charity, industry, art or public benefit.

One Flemish province publishes these conditions as an example: a vzw (the Flemish name for a Belgian non-profit association) or a public-benefit institution whose statutes were published in the Belgian Official Gazette at least 5 years ago. You attach your statutes, two years of annual accounts and the identification of the organisers. If you sell tickets in several municipalities of one province, the province decides, and you should allow at least a month in advance. For several provinces, the federal Ministry of the Interior decides.

This is a Flemish source. Walloon and Brussels practice has not been checked separately, so ask your own municipality.

Why are online tickets different?

A raffle across several provinces or through online means may fall under the National Lottery. That is a separate application, with stricter conditions than a local raffle. So you cannot simply put a webshop with tickets under the municipal scheme.

Under the Royal Decree of 18 December 2023, these conditions apply, among others:

You are a private-law legal entity that is at least 5 years old.
At least 60 percent of the takings goes to the good cause.
The value of the prizes is at most 40 percent of the tickets and you offer prizes in kind only.
A ticket costs between €0.05 and €20 and the raffle runs for at most 12 months.
The draw takes place in Belgium under the supervision of a bailiff.
No minors may take part.
You submit the application at least 13 weeks before the announcement.

That last point decides your planning. If you start thinking about online tickets for Christmas in November, you are too late. The Royal Decree says nothing about a raffle on a donation page through a webshop. So treat online tickets as subject to a permit until a legal source says otherwise.

What is not confirmed?

A few points are not on any official page we could read. For each of them, the answer is: ask your municipality.

Which criteria you must meet to be recognised by the municipal executive as an association.
Whether Walloon and Brussels municipalities use the same forms and deadlines as the Flemish examples.
Whether you may run a stand on the public highway or at a Christmas market without municipal permission.

A Christmas bingo is a separate pitfall. According to the Union of Walloon Cities and Municipalities, bingo falls under the Gaming Commission, not under the municipality. If you choose bingo, check with the Gaming Commission first.

What do you arrange in which week?

Plan backwards from your event date. For a local raffle, 6 weeks is comfortable. For online tickets, start in the summer. The general schedule is in the playbook for a Christmas fundraiser.

Weeks 1 to 2: ask your municipality whether you are recognised and whether you stay within the limits. Ask in writing.
Weeks 2 to 3: request permission if you want to exceed the limits, with statutes and annual accounts attached.
Weeks 3 to 4: find prizes in kind and add up their market value, sponsors included. Stay under €500.
Week 5: print or number the tickets, 1,000 at most, and agree who sells them.
Week 6: draw the winners in public and note the costs. That is how you show that at least 70 percent went to the cause.

For online tickets, count back 13 weeks from the announcement, and add the time for the draw under the supervision of a bailiff.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world does not sell raffle tickets. It does help with the part that belongs to every Christmas fundraiser: a donation page in three steps, for one-off and monthly gifts, which you can also share on your phone. If you want to avoid tickets, you can opt for a gift without a game of chance.

One example is the Card Wall, where every gift becomes a card with a stamp on a string. That is a gift with a message, not a chance of a prize. The four Christmas experiences, including the Card Wall, are still a concept until the official launch, so only plan around them once confirmed.

Supporters can also start their own fundraising page for your cause, and you write the thank you text that donors receive after their gift. That way your raffle stays local and your online campaign stays simple. You will find more ideas in the article with Christmas fundraiser ideas. Ready to start? Create your account.

Frequently asked questions

Can I hold a Christmas raffle without a permit?

Yes, if your association is recognised by the municipal executive and you stay within the limits: at most four times a year, €5 per ticket, 1,000 tickets and €500 in prizes in kind. Above that, you ask for permission.

Can I give away cash prizes?

Not in a raffle without a permit. The Royal Decree of 13 September 2023 allows prizes in kind only. The National Lottery also allows prizes in kind only.

Can I sell tickets online?

That may require an application to the National Lottery, at least 13 weeks before the announcement. We found no legal source that allows online tickets on a donation page without that permit, so treat them as subject to a permit.

What if my municipality uses different forms?

The law is federal, but the implementation lies with the municipality. Forms, deadlines and the responsible department therefore differ. Ask your municipality which form you need and when to submit it.

Can minors buy a ticket?

For the local raffle without a permit, this was not checked separately, so ask your municipality. In an online raffle through the National Lottery, no minors may take part.

Sources

Everything below was checked on 9 October 2026. For the Royal Decrees we read a mirror site, not the Belgian Official Gazette itself.