Lotteries - do I need a licence?

The Gambling Act 2005 replaced the provisions of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976, and societies registered with Epsom & Ewell Borough Council under the 1976 Act became automatically registered under the Gambling Act 2005.

Small society lotteries

Society lotteries are lotteries promoted for the benefit of a non-commercial society. A society is non-commercial if it is established and conducted for charitable purpose of enabling participation in, or supporting of, sport, athletics or a cultural activity, or any other non-commercial purpose other than that of private gain.

Size of lottery

The total value of tickets to be put on sale per single lottery must be £20,000 or less, or the aggregate value of the tickets to be put on sale for all lotteries for a particular organisation in a calendar year must not exceed £250,000. If the operator plans to exceed either of these values then they will be classed as a large lottery operator and must be licensed with the Gambling Commission instead.

The promoting society of a small society lottery must, throughout the period during which the lottery is promoted, be registered with a licensing authority. The society will be required to register with their licensing authority in the area where their principal office is located. If a licensing authority believes that the society's principal office is situated in another area it should inform that society as soon as possible and if possible inform the other authority.

Fees

The application fee to accompany an application for registration is £40.00. All registrations expire on the 31 December each year, and an annual fee of £20 will be payable by 31 December to continue registration. The annual fee must be paid during the period of two months ending on the anniversary of the registration (ie, between 1 November and 31 December).

Please find our fees here: Small society lottery fees.

Change of promoter

If your promoter changes, complete the change of promoter form and send it in to the address below. This will make sure that your records are kept up to date and any correspondence is sent to the correct address.

How do I apply?

You must complete the application form and send it together with the initial registration fee of £40 to:
 
Town Hall
The Parade
Epsom
Surrey
KT18 5BY

Cheques should be made payable to Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and the reference ehh04/zd136/gamb written on the reverse. 

The application forms can be downloaded below:

Lottery guidance notes
Small society lottery application form
Lottery constitution form
Change of promoter form