How to run a club raffle online (an Australian guide)

The humble raffle is one of the most reliable fundraisers a community club has. It's cheap to run, everyone understands it, and a good prize practically sells itself. This guide walks through planning a raffle, the compliance you need to check, and how to sell and draw it in a way that raises more than a book of paper tickets ever could.

Why raffles still work

Raffles endure for a reason. The entry price is low, so almost anyone can take part, and the appeal of winning something good gets people over the line quickly. Unlike a trivia night or a fun run, there's very little to organise and the margins are excellent — especially when prizes are donated. A raffle also gives supporters a simple, low-pressure way to chip in, which matters for the members and families who want to help but can't commit time.

The catch is that the classic paper raffle leaves money on the table. Tickets only reach people who happen to be at the clubroom on the day, cash goes missing, and someone spends an evening reconciling ticket stubs. Moving the raffle online fixes most of that — but before you sell a single ticket, sort out the compliance.

Planning a raffle that sells

A raffle lives or dies on its prize. The best prizes feel worth far more than a ticket costs, and they're often donated — which keeps your costs near zero and your margin high.

• Line up attractive prizes. A meat tray or a case of wine works, but a signed jersey, a weekend away, a sponsor's product bundle or a "money can't buy" experience will sell far more tickets. Ask local businesses and club sponsors to donate — many are glad to, in exchange for the exposure.
• Set a sensible ticket price. Price low enough that buying a few is easy, and consider bundles (say, one ticket or a book of five) to lift the average sale.
• Tie it to a moment. Raffles do best when they ride on something already happening — a home game, presentation night, the season launch or a milestone round. There's a natural crowd, a deadline and a reason to buy.
• Set clear dates. Decide when sales open, when they close and when you'll draw. A short, sharp window with a visible countdown beats an open-ended sell.

Permits and compliance — check before you sell

This is the part clubs most often get wrong. Raffles are a form of lottery, and in Australia they're regulated at the state and territory level. Whether you need a permit, how much you can raise, what prizes are allowed and how tickets can be sold all depend on where you are and the value of the prizes involved. The rules are genuinely different from one state to the next, so there's no single national answer.

Before you run a raffle, look up your state or territory's gaming, liquor-and-gaming or consumer-protection authority and confirm the current requirements for community and charitable raffles. Many clubs also need to be a registered not-for-profit or eligible community organisation to run one. Sort this first — it shapes your prize value, your ticket sales and your record-keeping.

Selling tickets: online vs paper

Paper tickets have their place — you'll always sell a few at the bar on the night. But paper caps your reach at the people physically in the room, and it means handling cash, chasing stubs and hoping nothing goes astray.

Selling online removes the ceiling. Every member can buy from their phone, wherever they are, and pay instantly. This is where ClubApp's online raffles feature does the heavy lifting: members buy tickets right inside your club's own branded app and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Payments run through Stripe at 2.7% + 30c per transaction, straight into the club's own account. Every ticket is recorded automatically, so there's no cash to count and no stubs to reconcile at the end.

You can still sell paper on game day if you like; think of online as the way you reach everyone who isn't standing at the clubroom.

Promoting it to members and families

A raffle only raises what you promote. Once tickets are on sale, get the word out fast and more than once — most sales come in a burst near the deadline, so a well-timed reminder matters.

• Announce it in the app. Send an announcement and a push notification straight to members so everyone knows it's live, what the prize is and when it closes.
• Reach the whole family. In a junior club, the parents are the buyers — make sure the message lands with the people holding the wallet.
• Feature the prize. A photo of the actual prize sells better than a description. Show it off.
• Thank your sponsors. If a prize was donated, feature that sponsor in the promotion. They get exposure, and you make it easy to ask again next time.
• Send a last-call reminder. A nudge the day before the draw reliably lifts the final numbers.

Drawing it fairly and transparently

How you draw the raffle matters as much as how you sell it. Members need to trust it's genuinely random, so make the draw visible. Do it live at an event or on a stream, or use a documented method that anyone could check. When every ticket is recorded digitally, the pool of entries is complete and accurate — no lost stubs, no "did that one get counted?"

Once you've drawn the winner, record the result: the winning ticket, the winner's name and the prize awarded. Some states require you to keep records of the draw and notify winners in a particular way, which is another reason to check your local rules. Announce the outcome publicly through the app so members see it was drawn and who won.

Say thank you — to buyers and donors

The end of the raffle is the start of the next one. Thank everyone who bought a ticket; they backed the club, win or lose. Thank the sponsors and businesses who donated prizes, publicly and by name — recognition is the currency that gets you a "yes" next time. A short message announcing how much you raised and what it will fund closes the loop and makes the next raffle an easier sell.