Published: September 2026  | Updated: September 2026  | Category: Raffles  | By Peter McCormick
We think of everything before the draw as selling. The draw is where you keep the promise printed on every ticket.
It is also where the rules get specific. Who has to be watching. Which prize goes first. How many days you have to tell a winner. What happens to a prize nobody claims. And those rules change from state to state.
This is the run sheet we would use, in three parts: before the draw, on the day, and after it. Each state’s rules on winners, unclaimed prizes and records are in one table at the end.
To draw an online raffle, close sales when your tickets say, check every paid ticket is in the draw, and draw at random on the advertised date, with the top prize drawn first where your state requires it. Then notify winners the way your tickets promised, publish results where required, deliver prizes on time and keep your records.
This is a practical guide, not legal advice. Your permit conditions come first, so confirm them before draw day.
Running an online raffle?
SupporterHub runs the draw where you sold the tickets, with instant winner notification and redraw options built in.
What should you do before the draw?
Close sales when you said you would
Your tickets and terms set the closing time. Close on it, not an hour later because sales are still coming in.
In Victoria, raffles below the permit threshold must be drawn on the day printed on the ticket and not more than 14 days after the last ticket sale. If you think you will need more time, ask early. Western Australia wants postponement requests in writing at least 14 days before the scheduled closing date.
Reconcile tickets against payments
Before anything is drawn, every paid ticket should be in the draw and nothing unpaid should be.
For a paper raffle, that means matching each seller’s butts to the money they returned. For an online raffle, it means checking that failed or refunded payments have not left tickets behind, and that any paper tickets sold at the door have been added with their own numbers.
Decide who will be there
Some states want someone watching who is not part of the raffle. In NSW, a raffle that needs an authority must be drawn in the presence and under the supervision of a person independent of whoever is running it and the charity benefiting. In South Australia, lotteries must be drawn in front of an independent person not associated with the lottery, and major lotteries with prizes of $30,000 or more need an independent scrutineer.
Even where an independent witness is not required, documenting who witnessed the draw gives you a clearer record of how it was conducted.
Check your draw method is allowed
If you sell online and plan to draw electronically too, check your state allows it first.
South Australia’s regulations expressly allow an electronic draw only where a random number generator selects the winner at random. Western Australia also permits RNG draws but requires independent, competent certification that the software selects numbers purely at random. Elsewhere, check your permit conditions or regulator guidance before drawing electronically.
Know which prize goes first
In Victoria, the first ticket drawn wins first prize, and reverse raffles, where the last ticket drawn wins the top prize, are illegal. In Tasmania’s exempt raffles, the first ticket drawn wins the most valuable prize. Western Australia’s permit conditions award the major prize to the first ticket drawn, other than in sweepstakes and continuous draw lotteries. The ACT says the major prize must be drawn first.
Where your state or permit requires it, draw the major prize first and continue in prize order. Otherwise, follow the order set out in your terms and permit conditions. Decide the order before the draw starts.
Decide your redraw rule now, not on the night
If a winner cannot be reached, or has left the event, what happens? The answer belongs in your terms before you sell a ticket, because several states tie redraws to your rules or to a waiting period.
In NSW, art union rules should state how long unclaimed prizes are kept and when a winner can be redetermined. If they do not, the regulation allows a redraw at least three months after the winner was first determined. In the ACT, a prize not claimed within a reasonable period means drawing another winning ticket. In Victoria, an unclaimed prize worth $500 or less must be drawn again, while a more valuable prize is held.
Write your redraw rule into your terms, check it against your state’s, and then follow it.
What happens on draw day?
Make the draw easy to follow
Follow the date, time, place and draw method stated in your tickets, terms or permit conditions. If it suits your raffle and your state’s requirements, you can also put the draw on a screen at your event or stream it for supporters who are not in the room.
Record every result as it happens
Write down or save the ticket number and buyer for each prize, in the order drawn, with the time. If you redraw, record why.
This is the record you will be asked to keep. NSW, for example, expects art union records to include the number of tickets sold and the names and contact details of the people who bought them, as shown on ticket butts or computer records.
Want the draw on a big screen?
Present a live raffle draw page for supporters to watch, with instant winner notification by email and SMS.
What do you have to do after the draw?
Notify winners the way your tickets promised
Two states set a deadline. South Australia requires a winner to be notified in writing within seven days if their prize is not handed over when the ticket is drawn. The ACT requires every winner to be notified directly, in writing, within 21 days, and counts email and SMS as written means.
Victoria requires winners to be notified as per the method printed on the ticket. So the method you chose when you designed the ticket is now the method you have to use.
Publish the results
Victoria requires results to be published as per the method advertised. In South Australia, each prize over $250 in a major lottery must be published within 30 days of the draw. Western Australia’s tickets name the publication the results will appear in. In the ACT, results must be available within seven days if requested. Tasmania’s exempt raffles must make results reasonably accessible to participants.
Deliver prizes on time
Victoria requires prizes to be delivered within 28 days after the draw. Western Australia requires delivery within 30 days of the lottery’s completion.
Handle unclaimed prizes the way your state says
The rules here differ a lot between states. In Victoria, a prize over $500 is held for three months after the draw, and if it is still unclaimed after 12 months it is sold or disposed of and the proceeds go to the state. In Tasmania, an exempt raffle’s prize can be sold or disposed of after reasonable attempts to reach the winner and a period of no more than nine months. In the ACT, you draw again. The table below has each state side by side.
Keep your records, and lodge any return
Record-keeping periods vary widely, from three months for a minor lottery in South Australia to at least seven years for a NSW art union. WA also requires a financial return within 14 days of the draw, while NT minor and major lotteries have separate financial record requirements.
What does each state require after the draw?
| State | Telling winners and publishing results | Unclaimed prizes | Keep records for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW (art unions) | Your rules must set out how winners are determined, notified and announced | Your rules set the holding period. An unclaimed prize can be forfeited and another draw held. | At least 7 years |
| VIC | Results published and winners notified as per the method printed on the ticket. Prizes delivered within 28 days. | ≤$500: draw again. More: hold 3 months; if unclaimed after 12 months, sell and pay proceeds to the state. | 3 years |
| QLD | Set by rule for your category, so check the category guide | Categories 2, 3 and 4: notify the regulator within 7 days of becoming aware you cannot give a prize to its winner | 5 years after the game ends (categories 2 and 3) |
| SA | In writing within 7 days if the prize is not handed over at the draw. Major lotteries: prizes over $250 published within 30 days. | Held, then redrawn, unless the Commissioner approves another way. Record how each was dealt with. | 3 months (minor), 1 year (major) |
| WA | Results in the publication named on the ticket. Prizes delivered within 30 days. | Not set out in the standard permit conditions, so check with the regulator | 12 months, plus a financial return within 14 days of the draw |
| TAS (exempt raffles) | Exempt: results accessible; reasonable efforts to contact winners. Permitted: contact winners within 2 weeks. | After reasonable attempts and no more than nine months, sold or otherwise disposed of | Enough to show you complied |
| ACT | Winners notified directly in writing, including email or SMS, within 21 days. Results available within 7 days if requested. | Not claimed within a reasonable period: draw another winning ticket | At least 12 months after the results |
| NT | Minor/major lotteries: publish winners of prizes $1,000+ within 14 days. Financial statement due within 2 months. | Unclaimed after 3 months: prize goes to the Director of Gaming Control. | Tickets/unsold tickets: 12 months. Financial records: 2 years (minor), 7 years (major). |
Checked against each regulator’s published guidance and regulations on 22 September 2026. These are practical summaries only: requirements can vary by raffle type, prize value and whether a permit or authority is required. Your permit conditions come first, so confirm them before the draw.
In short, an online raffle draw runs in three stages. Before it, close sales on time, reconcile tickets against payments, arrange any independent witness your state requires, confirm your draw method is allowed and set your redraw rule in your terms. On the day, use the draw method allowed by your state and permit, follow the required prize order and record every result. Afterwards, notify winners by the method on your tickets, publish results where required, deliver prizes within your state’s deadline and keep your records for as long as your regulator asks.
How we handle the draw
Our online raffle platform runs the draw where you sold the tickets, so your ticket sales and supporter records are already there when it is time to draw.
You can present the raffle draw page for everyone to see, with the winner’s name on a big screen. Once the raffle is drawn, the winner is notified by email and SMS, and the message states the prize they have won. If a winner has left the event, or you want to offer a redraw, you can redraw the prize. And because ticket sales are tracked in real time and every supporter has an individual profile, both are already managed in the same platform when you record the results.
What the platform cannot decide for you is the rules. Your redraw policy, how winners will be told and where results will be published belong in your terms before you sell. In the ACT, for example, email and SMS count as written notice, so check whether the automatic notification meets your own state’s requirement. Then the draw does what your terms say.
If you are still choosing a platform, our 12 questions to ask before choosing online raffle software covers how winners are selected and notified. If you are still designing your tickets, our guide to what needs to be on a raffle ticket covers each state’s list. For the rules around running a raffle more broadly, see how to run digital raffles legally in Australia. After the draw, our guide to turning raffle ticket buyers into long-term donors picks up where this one ends.
Want to see a draw run on screen, from the last ticket sold to the winner’s inbox?
Live draw pages, instant winner notification and redraw options in one platform.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you draw an online raffle fairly?
Close sales at the time stated in your terms, check every eligible paid ticket is included, then use a random draw method that gives each ticket an equal chance. Where your state or permit requires the major prize to be drawn first, follow that order: Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the ACT all do. Draw on the advertised date, record every result as it happens, and where your state requires an independent witness, have one present.
Can an online raffle be drawn electronically in Australia?
South Australia expressly allows an electronic draw only where a random number generator selects the winner at random. Western Australia permits RNG draws but requires independent certification that the software selects numbers purely at random. In other states and territories, check your permit conditions or regulator guidance before draw day.
Does someone independent have to be at a raffle draw?
In some states and for some raffles, yes. In NSW, a raffle that needs an authority must be drawn in the presence and under the supervision of a person independent of whoever runs it and the charity benefiting. In South Australia, lotteries are drawn in front of an independent person not associated with the lottery, and major lotteries with prizes of $30,000 or more need an independent scrutineer. Even where it is not required, an independent witness is an easy way to show the draw was fair.
How soon do raffle winners have to be notified?
It depends on your state. The ACT requires every winner to be notified directly, in writing, within 21 days, and email and SMS count as written means. South Australia requires written notice within seven days if the prize is not handed over at the draw. Victoria requires winners to be notified as per the method printed on the ticket. Whatever your state, the method on your ticket is a commitment, so choose one your team can deliver.
What happens if a raffle winner cannot be contacted?
Your state decides, and the answers vary. In the ACT, you draw another winning ticket after a reasonable period. In Victoria, an unclaimed prize worth $500 or less is drawn again, while more valuable prizes are held for three months and, if still unclaimed after 12 months, sold with the proceeds paid to the state. In Tasmania, an exempt raffle’s prize can be sold or disposed of after reasonable attempts and no more than nine months. Put your redraw rule in your terms.
Can we redraw a raffle prize on the night?
Only if your terms and your state’s rules allow it. Several states tie redraws to your raffle rules or to a waiting period, so decide the rule before you sell a ticket and print or publish it with your terms. In NSW, art union rules should state when a winner can be redetermined. Our platform lets you redraw a prize if a winner has left the event or you want to offer a redraw, and it should be used the way your terms describe.
How long do we have to keep raffle records?
It varies by state and raffle type. South Australia requires three months for minor lotteries and one year for major lotteries; WA and the ACT generally require at least 12 months; Victoria three years; Queensland five years for categories 2 and 3; and NSW at least seven years for an art union. NT financial records are generally two years for minor lotteries and seven years for major lotteries.
Do raffle results have to be published?
Several states require it. Victoria requires results to be published as per the method printed on the ticket, Western Australia’s tickets name the publication the results will appear in, and South Australia requires each prize over $250 in a major lottery to be published within 30 days. In the ACT, results must be available within seven days if requested. Check your own permit conditions for the exact requirement.
