Lottery licence

Lotteries are sometimes referred to as raffles, totes, draws, and tombolas. They are a means for societies and other qualifying organisations to raise funds. A lottery can be defined as the distribution of prizes by lot or chance.

In order to conduct lotteries, societies must register with the Council where their principal office is located. We can only register Societies established for one or more of the following purposes:

• for charitable purposes
• for the purpose of enabling participation in, or of supporting, sport, athletics or a cultural activity
• for any other non-commercial purpose other than that of private gain.

However, if the value of all tickets sold exceeds £20,000.00 for a single draw, or for the whole calendar year exceed £250,000.00 the society must register with the Gambling Commission.

Apply for a licence

You are advised to read the relevant guidance and policy documents and contact the licensing section with any queries prior to completing an application.

You must make your application in person at one of our customer service centres. You will need to provide the following items:

• Completed application form
• Supporting documents
• Fee

Lottery Returns

Registered societies are required to submit a completed returns for each individual lottery. The return must be submitted within three months of the date of the draw.

Renewing your licence

A society’s lottery registration will expire after twelve months, unless the annual fee is paid on or before the anniversary of the registration being granted. The fee can be paid by either sending a cheque to the licensing section for the correct amount and made payable to Carmarthenshire County Council or by telephoning the licensing section and paying using a debit or credit card. 

Download an application form (.pdf)