If you can't reach a winner

You've drawn, you've sent the good news — and one of your winners has gone quiet. It happens. Here's how to handle it calmly.

First, give it a reasonable window

People miss emails. Before assuming a winner is unreachable:

• Check the email address on their order — a typo is the most common reason a winner "didn't respond." If it's wrong, update their contact information (which re-sends to the corrected address) and try again.
• Resend the notification if it might have been missed or buried (spam folders are a usual suspect).
• Allow a few days. Not everyone checks email daily.

Try another channel

If you collected a phone number or have another way to reach the winner (many community raffles know their buyers), a friendly call or message often does what an unanswered email can't.

Know your obligations

Different states have their own rules about unclaimed prizes — how long you must hold a prize, what notice you must give, and what to do if a winner truly can't be found. Before you redraw or reallocate a prize, check what your raffle's state(s) require. The Compliance and permits section has the per-state details, and your state regulator's guidance is the final word.

When you're genuinely stuck

If you've made reasonable efforts and a winner remains unreachable, don't improvise a solution — especially anything involving redrawing or reassigning the prize, which can have compliance implications.