Queensland

In Queensland, larger raffles are Category 3 games (art unions) under the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act, overseen by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR).

Who can run one

A Category 3 art union can only be run by an incorporated eligible association — a charitable, community, educational, religious, or sporting body (or a P&C, or a registered political party). Individuals generally can't, with one narrow exception: a special Category 3 licence lets an individual run a single raffle for disaster victims or a disadvantaged person.

When you need a licence

• A Category 3 licence is required once a raffle's gross proceeds exceed $50,000 in total ticket sales (or over $5,000 under a special licence). Below that, you fall into a lower category with lighter rules.
• A standard Category 3 licence runs 1 year; a special licence, 4 months.

Prefer not to get a licence? Cap your QLD sales

If you'd rather not apply for a licence, RaffleLink can automatically stop QLD ticket sales before they reach $50,000, so a licence isn't required. On the Compliance step you'll see the option — "Or cap QLD sales at $50,000 — no permit needed" — with a box to tick:

"I understand QLD ticket sales will automatically stop before $50,000, and QLD buyers will be turned away beyond that point."

Once you enable it (Cap QLD at $50,000), QLD buyers are turned away as soon as the cap is reached — they'll see that QLD sales have closed for the raffle — while sales in every other state carry on unaffected. Your Compliance tab shows a live meter of QLD sales against the cap, and you can switch back to using a licence any time (Remove cap and use a permit instead).

Based outside Queensland? You may be exempt entirely

If your organisation is based in another state, there's a third path — the Interstate Online-Only Exemption (s 4). As RaffleLink explains it:

"Under s 4 of the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999 (Qld), the QLD Act does not apply to a raffle run under another state's law whose only conduct in Queensland is advertising — including online sales to Queensland buyers. No QLD permit or sales cap is required."

RaffleLink checks two conditions for you, and shows a tick or a cross against each:

• Your organisation is based outside Queensland.
• Your organisation's home state is among the raffle's selling states — so your own state's rules govern the raffle.

If both hold, you tick the self-certification — "I confirm that this raffle will not sell tickets in person (ticket booth or paper tickets) in Queensland — sales to Queensland buyers are online only" — and choose Claim Exemption. Queensland then shows as Exempt: no licence, no $50,000 cap.

Prize rules worth knowing

• Cash prizes are capped at $100,000. 🔴
• Alcohol may only be a prize if its retail value is $1,000 or less. 🔴
• Prohibited prizes: surgery, tobacco, weapons or ammunition, and anything legally restricted.
• Minimum prize floor: total prize value must be at least 20% of estimated gross proceeds. 🔴 (Easy to miss if your prizes are modest relative to ticket revenue.)
• Insurance: any single prize worth over $5,000 must be insured from when tickets go on sale until it's delivered.
• Some prize types (land, vehicles, animals, valuables) require specific valuations and certificates for the winner.

The draw and tickets

• A raffle must be drawn within 1 year of the day ticket sales start.
• All tickets sold at the same price (bundles allowed if offered to everyone equally); tickets numbered consecutively.
• Don't sell to a minor if any prize includes alcohol or a gaming product.
• Results published as advertised, or winners notified by mail within 28 days; prizes delivered within a month.

The sealed draw record

For QLD raffles large enough to need Category 3 controls, RaffleLink seals the draw — a digitally-signed, tamper-evident record of exactly how the winners were selected. After you've drawn, your raffle's Reports page shows a Regulated Draw Record section (marked "Regulated draw — sealed" once it's ready) where you can download two things:

• Download Draw Integrity Certificate — a plain-English PDF record of the sealed draw.
• Verification file (JSON) — a file a regulator can use to independently confirm the result hasn't been altered.

Sealing usually finishes within a few minutes of the draw, and the buttons enable once it's done. If it's still sealing well after the draw, contact support and we'll finalise it.

Records

Keep gaming and accounting records (generally 5 years), bank gaming money in a dedicated account, and have accounts audited within 3 months of financial year-end.

What RaffleLink does

RaffleLink checks gross proceeds against the Category 3 threshold and enforces the cash and alcohol prize caps as you build. The 20% prize-value floor is your responsibility to meet — RaffleLink doesn't currently check it for you, so make sure your prizes clear that bar.