Lottery regulations by country

Organizing a one-off lottery? Start with the rules.

Are you a club, foundation, or charity looking to organize a one-off lottery? Regulations vary by country. The location where you sell tickets, advertise, and hold the draw can also make a difference. Below you will find the primary pathways for the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy.

Sources verified on November 7, 2026. This overview assists with your initial preparations. Before starting, verify the current regulations and your specific setup with the competent authority. This does not constitute a license or permission to start a lottery.

First, the difference: lottery, giveaway, and donation

This page concerns lotteries where participants pay for a chance to win a prize, for example, to raise funds for a club. A promotional giveaway has a different purpose: to bring attention to a product, service, or organization. A standard donation without a chance to win a prize is something else entirely. The precise legal classification is determined per country.

Choose your country

Explore the competent authority, the licensing pathway, and key considerations for online sales per country. Select a country to go directly to the explanation and official sources.

Netherlands

Municipality or Gambling Authority

Germany

Check the relevant federal state

Denmark

Annual sales and license category

United Kingdom

Distinguish between the four nations

Belgium

Authorization, publicity, and e-commerce

France

Physical association lotteries

Spain

National or regional jurisdiction

Italy

Local sales limits and notifications

Netherlands: license for a cause of public interest

A one-off lottery with paid tickets can support a cause of public interest. The Gambling Authority (Ksa) mentions sports, culture, healthcare, and animal welfare, among others. Personal or commercial interests do not fall under this pathway.

Total value of prizes under €4,500: apply for the license at the municipality where the draw takes place.
Prize value from €4,500: the Gambling Authority is the competent body.
At least 40% of the proceeds must go to the cause of public interest.

Online: with a Ksa license, online ticket sales are possible with a certificate of participation. The draw takes place at a physical location accessible to the public, overseen by a notary. Digital support for the draw does not change this location requirement. For municipal licenses, check the associated regulations.

Official source: Gambling Authority — organizing a one-off lottery. Also read our explanation on organizing a lottery.

Germany: first determine the federal state and the competent authority

For a German lottery or tombola, you must check the rules of the specific region. The Bavarian example below does not constitute national permission for all of Germany.

In Bavaria, a pathway exists for small lotteries and prize draws via a general permit with notification requirements or via an individual license. The official explanation mentions a planned ticket capital of up to €40,000: the number of tickets to be issued multiplied by the ticket price. The organizer must, in principle, have a recognized public interest, charitable, or ecclesiastical purpose. The competent authority also depends on the sales area.

Online: before selling, ask whether the intended website, advertising, and reach fit within the permit. A digital license application does not, in itself, mean that internet sales are permitted.

Official source and regional example: Government of Middle Franconia — small lotteries, prize draws, and tombolas.

Denmark: annual sales and license category determine the pathway

The Danish regulator has a separate scheme for almennyttigt lotteri: a lottery where the surplus goes to a cause of public interest. The regulator provides information and application options via Lotteriregler.

The official guide mentions a licensing requirement starting from a total annual ticket sales of 15,000 Danish kroner. Below that threshold, an exception exists. Therefore, assess the annual sales, not just the proceeds of a single draw, and read which conditions apply to your category.

Online: check sales and execution separately. The explanation for license category 3 allows digital ticket sales under certain conditions but requires physical execution. This is not a general permission for every campaign form or license category.

Official sources: Lotteriregler from Spillemyndigheden and ticket sales within category 3.

United Kingdom: distinguishing between Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England, Wales, and Scotland

An incidental lottery held alongside an event can be conducted without a license or registration if the exemption conditions are met. The lottery must not be the main purpose of the event. Tickets may only be sold at the event location and during the event: not in advance, online, or via social media.

For broader fundraising, a small society lottery may be relevant. For this, the organization registers with the local competent authority. The limits are a maximum of £20,000 in tickets offered per lottery and £250,000 in total annual lottery proceeds. Above these limits, a license from the Gambling Commission is required. According to the regulator, registered small society lotteries can sell tickets remotely without a separate remote license from the Commission.

Official sources: Gambling Commission — lotteries at events and small society lotteries.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own gambling law framework. Therefore, do not automatically apply the British pathways mentioned above to sales or participants there.

Official source: Department for Communities — legislation in Northern Ireland.

Belgium: reach, publicity, and e-commerce are decisive

The National Lottery distinguishes between municipal, provincial, national, and e-commerce tombolas. The correct authorization depends on where the tombola is organized and announced. A municipal authorization, therefore, does not automatically cover a national campaign.

Internet publicity: according to the National Lottery, municipal or provincial authorization is insufficient for this; a national tombola license must be applied for first.

E-commerce: the National Lottery states that it is the only organization in Belgium permitted to conduct e-commerce for tombolas. Therefore, do not implement an online payment or sales route based solely on a standard tombola authorization. Cash prizes are not permitted for the described charitable tombolas.

Official source: National Lottery — organizing a tombola?

France: association lotteries are a physical pathway

French government information describes an exception for lotteries and tombolas of associations with certain non-commercial purposes. The proceeds must go to the permitted causes and the prizes must consist of movable goods. Authorization is requested from the mayor of the municipality of residence; in Paris, from the préfet de police.

Online: Service Public explicitly states that the described lotteries, tombolas, and traditional lotos must take place physically and may not be organized remotely or online. The association must organize the lottery itself; commercial outsourcing to third parties is not permitted via this pathway.

A Dutch online sales setup cannot, therefore, be used for a French association lottery without further consideration.

Official source: Service Public — lottery, tombola, or loto organized by an association.

Spain: prior authorization for a rifa ocasional

The DGOJ describes the rifa ocasional for lotteries of national reach: a non-permanent, incidental draw with paid participation. Prior authorization is required for this pathway. The organizer must have the prizes, the game setup, and any advertising evaluated.

The official explanation does not allow cash prizes within this rifa pathway. The identity, representation, and financial and technical capacity of the organizer also play a role in the application.

Online: digital or interactive participation can be part of the description of a rifa, but it does not replace the required authorization. First determine whether your campaign falls under the national framework or if you need to consult the regional competent authority. This summary does not provide regional exemptions.

Official sources: DGOJ — rifas ocasionales and application and conditions for national rifas.

Italy: local lotteries with defined sales areas

The Italian regulation for manifestazioni di sorte locali describes, under certain conditions, lotteries and other local gambling activities by non-commercial associations and institutions, among others.

For the described lotteria, sales are limited to the province and the total value of the tickets to be issued is a maximum of €51,645.69. This refers to the ticket issuance, not the value of the prize package. Cash prizes do not fall under the permitted prizes for this pathway.

The official municipal explanation mentions a notification to the prefect and mayor at least 30 days in advance, as well as the prior procedure with the gambling administration. Ask the local SUAP/municipality for the current forms and sequence.

Online: local sales limits do not constitute permission for national or cross-border internet sales. Have the intended digital working method evaluated in advance.

Official source: Comune di Olgiate Olona — local lotteries and tombolas.

What should you establish before you begin?

First, map out your plan concretely. Have the reach of your campaign confirmed before you advertise or sell tickets.

A translated website or an online payment option does not change the applicable rules.

Organizer and purpose: who is responsible and what will the proceeds be used for?
Area: where are you selling tickets, where are you advertising, and where do participants live?
Sales and draw: which components take place online and which on-site?
Budget: how many tickets are you issuing, what do they cost, and what are the prizes and organizational costs?
Authorization and completion: which license, notification, tax check, and accountability are required for your campaign?

Discuss your lottery plan with Loteraise

Tell us for what purpose and in which country you want to organize a campaign. We can then discuss which support fits your plan and which components must first be clarified with the competent authority.