Run your raffles as prize draws with a free postal entry route, choose a niche, set ticket prices and numbers that cover every cost, set up a limited company with solicitor-written terms, open a payment account with a provider that accepts raffles, and build on a platform made for competitions.
Run it as a prize draw
A paid raffle decided by chance is a lottery, which a business cannot run for profit. Online raffle businesses run prize draws with a free entry route instead. Read our guide on whether online raffles are legal before you plan anything else.
Pick your niche
The most successful raffle businesses have a clear audience: cars, tech, fishing, cash or a local community. A niche makes prizes easier to choose and ads cheaper to run.
Work out the numbers
For each raffle, set the ticket price and ticket count so sales cover the prize, payment fees, platform costs and marketing with room to spare. Plan for some raffles to undersell.
Set up the business and terms
Register a limited company, open a business bank account, register with the ICO, and have a solicitor write your terms, including the free postal entry route.
Take payments
Apply to a payment provider that accepts raffle and competition businesses, such as Cashflows or DNA Payments, and allow time for their checks.
Build your raffle website
Choose a platform that allocates tickets only after payment, copes with traffic on draw night, and includes spend limits, self-exclusion and entry lists. Avoid per-order fees that grow with every sale.
Build trust from day one
Publish entry lists, film or stream your draws, and post every winner. Trust is what brings players back for the next raffle.
Last updated 25 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.