What Is a 50/50 Raffle? Rules, Examples & Legal Considerations

Hosting a 50/50 raffle isn’t just fun, it’s also proven to be one of the most effective ways to raise money for charities and non-profits. It’s not just because it’s easy and has a low cost of entry; a 50/50 raffle also offers participants the chance for big prizes while guaranteeing a good return on investment for the organizations that host them.

There are a few key things you need to know before you host a 50/50 raffle, though. Working with Raffle Rocket can make it easy to organize your raffle, but it’s important that your organization understands the rules and what’s required to host one before you get started.

What Is a 50/50 Raffle?

Like every type of raffle, in a 50/50 raffle, people buy tickets and hope that their number is drawn at the end for a prize. What makes a 50/50 raffle unique is that the prize is exactly half of the total amount of money that’s raised from selling tickets. The other half is kept by your organization.

That means that the more tickets are sold in your 50/50 raffle, the more money both the winner and your organization take home.

How Do 50/50 Raffles Work?

The good news is that it’s not very complicated, and running a 50/50 draw online makes the process even easier.

With Raffle Rocket, your raffle will have its own landing page that showcases the total pot and is updated as tickets are purchased. Tickets can be sold online and sent directly to participants through email, too.

The Benefits of a 50/50 Raffle

Low upfront costs: Unlike when you’re offering up a prize to the winner of your draw, a 50/50 raffle doesn’t require your organization to have prizes organized and paid for in advance. That means there’s less risk, as it’s a guarantee that only half the money that’s raised from ticket sales will go to the winner.
Easy to organize: When you host a 50/50 raffle on Raffle Rocket, you can advertise your 50/50 draw through e-mail and social media, while 50/50 raffle tickets can be purchased online. It really is that simple.
Low cost of entry: It’s up to you how much you charge for a ticket in a 50/50 split, but keeping the buy-in cost low can help drive ticket sales. For participants, it means they don’t need to break the bank to buy tickets, and that can incentivize them to buy more to improve their chances of winning.
Incentives to sell tickets: The more tickets are sold, the higher the prize the raffle winner will take home. That incentivizes everyone to buy and sell more so that they’re more likely to win big.
Online tools keep it simple: Using Raffle Rocket makes hosting an online 50/50 raffle super easy. Once you’ve got your license ready, you simply need to enter your raffle details, promote it, and then draw a winner. It’s a straightforward process that can generate significant revenue for your organization.

Who Can Host a 50/50 Raffle?

Every province and state has different rules and regulations governing who can and cannot host online raffles, and it’s important to check with your local jurisdiction to make sure you’re allowed to host a 50/50 raffle.

In Alberta, for example, only non-profit, charitable, and religious organizations are permitted to host 50/50 raffles, and all 50/50 draws require a license from the Alberta Liquor, Gaming, and Cannabis Commission.

The Charitable Gaming Policies Handbook provides all the information you’ll need to sort out whether you can host a 50/50 raffle. It’s recommended that you apply for a raffle license at least 10 business days before you start selling tickets, and they can be acquired at any Alberta registry office.

For all other jurisdictions with gaming authorities, look for a similar handbook to help guide you through the licensing process.

Hosting Your 50/50 Raffle Online

Wondering how to do a 50/50 raffle? Using Raffle Rocket and hosting your raffle online makes the entire process easier for both organizers and the people who buy tickets. Our online platform is intuitive and designed to make set-up and selling tickets as easy as possible.

There’s no need to buy physical tickets, and because everyone’s ticket number is sent directly to their email, nobody needs to worry about losing their ticket and being unable to claim their prize once the winning number has been drawn.

Raffle Rocket also allows up to 2 million tickets to be sold and provides the option of running either private or public 50/50 raffles. Additionally, our platform enables you to offer additional prizes such as cash or non-cash prize draws.

With Raffle Rocket, you can customize your raffle page, automate communications, track sales, and accept payment online.

Raise More with Raffle Rocket

Hosting a 50/50 raffle is an amazing way to take your fundraiser to the next level. With minimal risk for charities, non-profits, and religious organizations, the prize will always be 50% of the amount raised from 50/50 raffle ticket sales. The low cost of entry means everyone will want to participate.

Raffle Rocket’s easy-to-use platform makes it easy, even for people who have never run one before. Get started today with Raffle Rocket.

FAQs

Can I run an online 50/50 raffle in any province or state?

Raffle Rocket is a certified Electronic Raffle System (ERS) in Alberta and can be used 14 U.S. States. In jurisdictions where Raffle Rocket is not currently certified, you can still use the platform to sell tickets, but the draw itself needs to be done offline.

How can I check if my organization can run a 50/50 raffle?

The answer to this varies jurisdiction by jurisdiction, so it’s best to check with your local gaming authority.

What Is a 50/50 Raffle? Rules, Examples & Legal Considerations