Special Category 3 raffles (QLD)

Queensland is the one state that lets a raffle be run for the benefit of an individual — someone who is disadvantaged or affected by a disaster (a medical fund, a fire or flood recovery). It runs under a special Category 3 gaming licence from the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR). This page sets out the rules; to run one inside RaffleLink, see Fundraise for an individual.

Eligibility and permit

An individual may run a raffle on behalf of a person who is disadvantaged or affected by a disaster, under a special Category 3 permit from OLGR.

You apply for the permit yourself, before the raffle starts:

• Lodge your application with OLGR at least 28 days before your intended start date — in practice, allow 4–6 weeks for it to come through.
• The form is OLGR's Special Category 3 game permit application (Form 2C) — see Official resources below.

Duration

A special Category 3 raffle can run for a maximum of 4 months. Your draw must fall within the licence term.

Financial rules

The prize-pool cap. Your total gross ticket proceeds can't be more than five times the total value of your prize pool — Queensland's standard Category 3 prize floor (the same rule as the 20% minimum prize value, seen from the other side). For example:

• Prizes worth $5,000 → you can raise at most $25,000.
• Selling 10,000 tickets at $3 ($30,000 in potential sales) against that $5,000 prize pool puts you over the cap — you'd drop to about 8,333 tickets (or lift the prize value) to stay compliant.

Records. Keep the raffle's records — including all financial records — for a minimum of five years.

Financial return. Lodge a financial return with OLGR within two months of the draw.

Prizes

Prizes follow the standard Queensland Category 3 rules — the same prohibited prizes and valuation requirements as any QLD raffle. See the Queensland prize rules for the full list. Two that catch people out:

• Insure any prize worth over $5,000 from when tickets go on sale until it's delivered to the winner.
• Deliver prizes within one month of the draw.

Official resources

Straight from the Queensland regulator:

• Special Category 3 game permit application (Form 2C) — the form you lodge with OLGR.
• Special Category 3 gaming licence (ABLIS) — the Australian Business Licence and Information Service overview.
• Guide to Category 3 games (PDF) — see pages 7–11 for the Special Category 3 detail.

For the wider Queensland picture — the cash and alcohol prize caps and the sealed-draw certificate — see Queensland rules.