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Legal or not?

Not all raffles are created equally, especially online and it can be hard to spot what is legal or illegal. Learn more below.

Chances are good that you’ve participated in a raffle before. Chances are also pretty good that you’ve seen illegal raffles running online, particularly on social media.

Ensuring a raffle is legal means that the proceeds from a raffle go directly to the organization to support its programming and services. The rules around legal raffles are in place to protect Albertans, players, and ensure that gambling is fair and the money benefits all Albertans.

What is a raffle?

First and foremost what is a raffle? A raffle is a form of gambling where people buy tickets, which gives them a chance to win a prize(s) and the winner(s) is drawn at random from the tickets purchased. Most often raffles are used as a fundraising tool and have three defining elements:

  1. Consideration – an entry into the raffle requires monetary exchange for a chance to win.
  2. Monetary value – the prize is valued at a certain price point.
  3. Random draw – the winner(s) are drawn at random.

There are many different types of raffles—50/50, Chase the Ace, Wine Survivor, Squares Boards, and more, but its important to know what is legal in Alberta.

For a raffle to be legal in Alberta, it needs to:

  • Be organized by an eligible non-profit, charitable, or religious group. 
  • Be licensed by AGLC, which ensures that raffles are run fairly and that funds are used to support program and service delivery by eligible groups. 
  • Sell tickets in-person or through a raffle system on an organization’s website. Raffle tickets cannot be sold on any social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok. 

If a raffle doesn’t check off all the boxes above, it’s illegal. Illegal raffles are unregulated and come with risks for the people purchasing tickets. Running an illegal raffle can result in and fines and other types of penalties. 

Examples of illegal raffles:

  • An individual running a raffle for any reason, from wine baskets to beer league hockey teams (adult sports are not eligible for a gaming licence).  
    • Whether it’s a 50/50 draw or selling squares, if you’re paying for a chance to win a prize with value, it’s a raffle. 
  • Running a raffle through any social media site, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.
    • On social media, illegal raffles are often hosted on private pages or called contest, giveaways and even "waffles" to avoid being flagged
  • A corporation fundraising for a social committee or events by running a raffle. 
    • Fundraising to pay for events or social activities is not eligible for a gaming licence. 
    • This also applies to individuals and government organizations, who are not eligible for raffle licences. 

See an illegal raffle?

If you see someone on Facebook or Instagram running an illegal raffle please report it by filling out the email form.

More to learn

For more information on what is legal and illegal visit:

If you are a charitable organization looking for more information on how to apply for licensing or how to conduct raffles visit: