Lotteries and community gambling

Community gaming activities such as lotteries, raffles, lotto, tipping competitions, bingo, Calcuttas and sweepstakes in the Northern Territory (NT) must comply with the rules and guidelines in the Gaming Control (Community Gaming) Regulations 2006 and the NT Code of Practice for Responsible Gambling.

Who can participate

You must be an approved association to conduct fundraising lotteries and games of chance.

You do not have to be incorporated, but you must have a proper constitution, identify your office holders and nominate a person to be responsible for conducting lotteries.

Read about how to become an approved association.

Once approved, an association can legally operate raffles, lotteries, Calcuttas, sweepstakes, bingo, tipping competitions and other games without a permit, provided that total ticket sales do not exceed $5,000. You need a permit for larger lotteries.

What you can do without a permit

An approved association may conduct any of the following without a permit:

• Calcuttas, sweepstakes and bingo
• free entry lottery with prizes totalling $2,000 or less
• raffles with ticket sales of $5,000 or less
• mini lotto with a prizes totalling $5,000 or less
• a tipping competition with prizes totalling $5,000 or less.

Read more about conditions on community lotteries and games.

What you need a permit for

Minor lottery

A minor lottery is a game of chance similar to a raffle, where the total value of tickets or entry fees is between $5,001 and $20,000.

You need a permit to run a minor lottery and it must be run by an approved association.  Read more about becoming an approved association.

Major lottery

A major lottery is a game of chance or chance and skill where the total value of tickets is more than $20,000.

You need a permit to run a major lottery and it must be run by an approved association.

Read about how to apply for a minor or major lottery.

Trade lotteries

Trade lotteries which are run as promotions for an NT business. There are two types of trade lotteries minor and major.

A minor trade lottery has prizes totalling $5,000 or less, and does not need a permit.

A major trade lottery has prizes totalling more than $5,000 and does need a permit.

A  business needs a permit to run an interstate trade lottery if it does not already have a permit from another state.

Read about how to apply for a trade lottery.