Verdict: Raffles are legal in New Jersey, but ticket sales must be in person or by mail. N.J.S.A. 5:8-51.6(c) is explicit that raffle tickets "may not be purchased electronically by the public" outside an in-person transaction with the organization's own people. Whether you may then take a card for that in-person sale is not addressed anywhere in N.J.A.C. 13:47, so ask the LGCCC before you accept one. Every raffle needs two approvals: state registration with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC) and a separate municipal license for each event.
What works: A licensed in-person raffle with a clear prize (traditional, 50/50, calendar, or merchandise), uniform ticket pricing, prizes within the $100,000 single-drawing cap, and a Report of Operations filed by the 15th of the month after the drawing.
What doesn't: Selling raffle tickets online, discounting bulk ticket buys on a standard raffle, changing the prize after approval, letting a for-profit partner run the raffle, or skipping the municipal step because the state already registered you.
Best for: Qualified nonprofits (veterans, religious, charitable, educational, fraternal, civic, senior, volunteer fire, rescue) with the volunteer capacity to staff an in-person ticket table and file the Report of Operations on time.
Worth considering if: You have 30 to 45 days before the event for the two-step approval, a treasurer who can track every ticket sold, and a physical event (tricky tray, gala, dinner) where in-person sales make sense. If not, a free donation form or peer-to-peer campaign will out-earn a raffle with a fraction of the paperwork.
Table of contents
Nonprofit organizations, fundraisers, and event planners can host raffles in New Jersey as a way to raise money. But the rules are strict, and getting one detail wrong (selling a ticket online, skipping the town license, filing the report late) can pull your ability to run future raffles.
The New Jersey Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC) regulates raffles in the state. This guide walks through the 2026 rules: what is permitted, what is not, how to apply, and what Zeffy helps with.
Are raffles legal in New Jersey?
Yes. Raffles are legal in New Jersey for qualified nonprofits, and the LGCCC governs the details:
- Types of raffles permitted: Traditional, 50/50, calendar, merchandise, and instant raffle games.
- Eligible organizations: Only qualified nonprofits can apply for a raffle license. For-profit organizations cannot conduct raffles, even in partnership with a nonprofit.
- Two-layer approval: State registration with the LGCCC, plus a separate municipal license for each event.
- Prize caps: $100,000 per single drawing raffle; $500,000 aggregate per calendar year (with exceptions for on-premise raffles and wholly donated prizes).
- Uniform ticket pricing: No bulk discounts on standard raffles.
Local rules also apply. Check with your municipal clerk before you print tickets or advertise the event.
New Jersey allows certain types of gaming by specific types of non-profit organizations. There are detailed licensing procedures that must be followed, as well as special restrictions on how the proceeds derived from permitted games of chance may be used.
— The Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission
For a small NJ nonprofit: the legal answer is yes, but the operational answer is "only if you can staff an in-person ticket table and handle two license applications per event." If that is not you, a donation form is a lighter lift.
Types of permissible raffles in NJ
The following raffle formats are permitted in New Jersey:
- Traditional raffles: Tickets sold for a chance to win a predetermined prize.
- 50/50 raffles: Half the proceeds go to the winner, half to the nonprofit.
- Calendar raffles: Participants enter to win prizes drawn on specific dates.
- Merchandise raffles: Prizes are tangible items like electronics or gift baskets.
- Instant raffle games: Scratch-off or pull-tab style, licensed by the day or year.
What is a tricky tray raffle?
A tricky tray is a New Jersey staple: a basket-auction format where guests buy sheets of numbered tickets, drop them into containers next to the baskets they want to win, and stay for the drawings at the end of the night. It is a raffle under NJ law, which means it needs LGCCC registration plus a municipal license for the event, prize caps apply per drawing, and ticket sheets must be priced uniformly (no "buy three sheets, get one free" bulk deals on a standard raffle). Because a tricky tray is held on-premise, some of the prize-cap exceptions in the regulations may apply. Confirm the specifics with your municipal clerk and the LGCCC before you set ticket prices.
For a small NJ nonprofit: the tricky tray is the format that fits the license the best. In-person sales are already the plan, and the drawings all happen at one event, so the paperwork covers a single night rather than a rolling online sale.
How to apply for an NJ raffle license as a nonprofit
Step 1: Obtain a registration and identification number
Before you can apply for a municipal raffle license, register your nonprofit with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC). This is the state-level step and it comes first.
Required documentation:
- A completed application form
- A $100 biennial registration fee (waived for senior citizen organizations)
- A copy of your nonprofit's constitution and bylaws
- A list of members' names, addresses, and ages
- Articles of incorporation filed with the NJ Secretary of State (if applicable)
Once approved, your identification number is valid for two years. Renew it if you plan to keep hosting raffles.
Step 2: Confirm nonprofit eligibility
Not every organization can legally host a raffle in New Jersey. You are eligible if your nonprofit fits one of these categories:
- Associations of U.S. war veterans
- Churches and religious organizations
- Charitable, educational, and fraternal organizations
- Senior citizen associations and clubs
- Officially recognized volunteer fire companies and first aid or rescue squads
For-profit organizations cannot conduct raffles, even if they are partnering with a nonprofit. If your setup relies on a for-profit partner running the raffle, it is not permitted. Check your specific eligibility with the LGCCC before you file.
For a small NJ nonprofit: most community-based groups fall into one of the eligible categories, but if you are unsure, confirm with the LGCCC before spending time on the application. A rejected filing costs you both the fee and the lead time.
Step 3: Pay the application fee
Once eligibility is confirmed, submit the non-refundable registration fee. The base fee is $100. Additional fees may apply depending on the raffle type:
- Calendar raffles: $20 for every $1,000 of total merchandise or cash prize value
- Instant raffles: $20 per day or $750 for a one-year license
- Off-premise raffle (50/50): $20 for every $1,000 raised
- On-premise raffle (50/50): $20 per drawing if the anticipated prize exceeds $400
Budget the full fee stack before you set your ticket price. Confirm the current schedule on the LGCCC fees page before you file.
For a small NJ nonprofit: the base $100 registration is manageable, but calendar and 50/50 fees scale with prize value. Run the math on your expected prize before you commit to a format, so you are not surprised at the application desk.
Step 4: NJ raffle license application (municipal step)
State registration is the first approval. The second is your municipal raffle license, filed with the clerk's office of the town or city where the raffle will be held. Both are required. You cannot sell a single ticket on state registration alone.
Municipal raffle license application requirements:
- The identification number issued by the LGCCC
- A detailed description of the gaming activity
- A sample ticket, if applicable
- The name of an active member who will oversee the raffle
Step 5: Await approval
After submitting your municipal application, expect a review period of 14 to 30 days. During this window, you cannot advertise the raffle or sell tickets. Plan on 30 to 45 days total from LGCCC registration to your event date. Timelines vary by municipality; confirm yours with the clerk.
Step 6: NJ Report of Operations
After conducting the raffle, file a Report of Operations with the LGCCC by the 15th of the calendar month immediately following the event, per N.J. Admin. Code 13:47-9.1. The report accounts for tickets sold, prizes awarded, expenses, and net proceeds.
Missing this deadline is one of the most common ways a nonprofit's raffle license gets flagged. Put the date on the calendar the day the drawing happens.
For a small NJ nonprofit: the two-step license takes real lead time and the Report of Operations is not optional. If you have no one to own the paperwork, the raffle is not the right fundraiser.
Misconceptions about NJ raffles and tips for compliance
|
| Online raffle ticket sales are allowed | Selling raffle tickets online is not permitted in New Jersey. Tickets must be sold in-person or by mail. Confirm current status with the LGCCC. |
| Any nonprofit can host a raffle | Only qualified organizations can apply for a raffle license. For-profit organizations cannot participate, even when partnering with a nonprofit. |
| Any prize is valid | Prohibited prizes include: real estate, bonds, shares of stock, securities or evidences of indebtedness, weapons, live animals, foreign or domestic coins, tobacco products, and motor vehicle leases. |
| Prizes can be changed after approval | Any change to the prize structure or raffle conditions must be reported and approved by the LGCCC before the event. |
| Raffle proceeds can be used for any purpose | Proceeds must be used strictly for the charitable purpose stated in the application. Misuse can lead to license revocation and penalties. |
| Municipal approval is optional | Even after the LGCCC issues your registration number, the municipality must approve the specific raffle before any tickets are sold or advertised. |
| There is no limit on prize value | $100,000 per single drawing raffle; $500,000 aggregate over 12 months. Uniform ticket pricing, no bulk discounts. See N.J.S.A. 5:8-50 et seq. and the LGCCC for current details. |
For a small NJ nonprofit: the misconceptions that get orgs in trouble are the two "shortcuts" (online sales, skipping the town). Neither is a shortcut. Both end the raffle.
Consequences of legal violations
Violations of NJ raffle laws can result in serious penalties:
- Fines: Up to $7,500 for a first offense, up to $15,000 for each subsequent offense.
- License suspension: Loss of eligibility to conduct future raffles.
- Legal action: Potential civil or criminal liability for fraudulent practices.
A violation of the bingo and raffles licensing laws or regulations carries a fine of up to $7,500 for a first offense and up to $15,000 for the second and each subsequent offense. In addition, the Commission is authorized to order restitution to an aggrieved party.
— The Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission
A vendor's marketing copy is not a defense. If a third-party platform tells you it will handle your NJ raffle online, the LGCCC still holds your organization responsible for the conduct.
Can you use Zeffy to run online raffles in New Jersey?
Three questions decide this. Are raffles legal in New Jersey? Yes, on two approvals: LGCCC registration, and a separate municipal license for each event. Can you sell the tickets online? No. Can you sell them in person and take a card? The rules do not say, and silence is not a yes.
On the online question the statute is direct. N.J.S.A. 5:8-51.6(c) provides that tickets for raffles "may not be purchased electronically by the public other than through in-person transactions with the personnel of the organization conducting the raffle." The rules point the same way from a different angle: N.J.A.C. 13:47-8.12 requires that "the event that determines a winner shall be one that occurs at the time and place of the occasion", and 13:47-8.6(a) that "every drawing and every allotment by chance shall be conducted openly and in plain view of all players present." A remote draw does not fit either sentence. So no platform, Zeffy included, can sell your New Jersey raffle tickets online.
On the card question, N.J.A.C. 13:47 never addresses how a ticket buyer may pay. Read end to end, the chapter contains no reference to credit cards, debit, the internet or online sales at all. In the whole Bingos and Raffles Law the phrase "credit card" appears exactly once, at 5:8-51.6(c), and only for raffles run inside a large sporting venue, where "in-person transactions between the purchaser and individuals who are employed by or otherwise represent the organization conducting the raffle may be made by cash, credit card, or other electronic payment methods." That the Legislature had to write that permission for stadiums cuts against reading a general one into the ordinary regime. So ask the LGCCC before you accept a card for a ticket, and until you have their answer, take cash, a check or a mail-in order at the table.
What is left is most of the work. Here is what a licensed New Jersey in-person raffle can run on Zeffy, all free:
- Log every ticket you sell at the table or take in the mail. Record each sale in Zeffy's free donor CRM as it happens, stub number against buyer name, amount and date, so the log builds through the shift rather than after it.
- Build the Report of Operations out of those same records. Export the participant list, tickets sold, prizes awarded and net proceeds when the drawing is done. The report is due to the LGCCC by the 15th of the month after the event, per N.J.A.C. 13:47-9.1, and missing it is one of the most common ways a license gets flagged.
- Ticket the tricky tray, gala or dinner the raffle lives inside with free event ticketing. An admission ticket is not a raffle chance, so that part can be sold online.
- Take donations from supporters who would rather just give on a free donation form. It runs alongside the raffle and never touches ticket sales.
The shape of a New Jersey raffle on Zeffy is: transact at the table, organize online. The paperwork, the buyer records, the event tickets and the donation forms all run on Zeffy. The raffle ticket sale itself stays in the room with the buyer, and no platform can move it online. Zeffy costs a nonprofit nothing: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee, ever.
Additional resources on NJ raffle law:
FAQs - NJ Raffle Laws for Nonprofits
Can you host an online raffle in NJ?
Selling raffle tickets online is not permitted for New Jersey nonprofits. Tickets must be sold in-person or by mail. Zeffy cannot be used to sell raffle tickets online in NJ. For the operational side of a licensed in-person raffle, Zeffy can help with: tracking raffle ticket sales for your NJ Report of Operations after the event; tracking participants and prize information; and maintaining contact records to simplify future outreach and donor relationships. Start fundraising for free.
What is the legal difference between a raffle and a drawing?
The legal difference is how each is regulated. Both are legal in New Jersey, but a drawing is treated as a sweepstake subject to different rules and legislation. Raffles fall under New Jersey's Bingo Licensing Law (N.J.S.A. 5:8-24 et seq.) and Raffles Licensing Law (N.J.S.A. 5:8-50 et seq.), both enforced by the LGCCC. Payment is required: participants must pay for a ticket or chance to win, which makes raffles a "game of chance" regulated by the state. Only qualified nonprofits may conduct raffles, and nonprofits must register with the LGCCC for an identification number, then apply for a municipal license per event. Prizes are capped at $100,000 for a single drawing, with a $500,000 aggregate over 12 months. Tickets must be sold uniformly (no bulk discounts).
Can you sell raffle tickets online in NJ?
No. N.J.S.A. 5:8-51.6(c) states that tickets for raffles "may not be purchased electronically by the public other than through in-person transactions with the personnel of the organization conducting the raffle." Bills to permit remote raffles have been introduced more than once. The 2021 attempt (S2631, with its Assembly companion A4297) passed both houses and was then absolutely vetoed in November 2021, so it never became law, and the successor bills have not moved out of committee. The only enacted remote-raffle law, P.L. 2020 c.124, covers large sporting venues during a declared public health emergency, not ordinary nonprofit raffles. Sell tickets in person or by mail, and confirm the current position with the LGCCC.
What is the NJ Report of Operations deadline?
The Report of Operations is due to the LGCCC by the 15th of the calendar month immediately following the raffle event, per N.J. Admin. Code 13:47-9.1. The report accounts for tickets sold, prizes awarded, expenses, and net proceeds. Miss it and your license eligibility is at risk. File the Report of Operations form directly with the LGCCC.
What is a tricky tray raffle?
A tricky tray is a basket-auction raffle format common at New Jersey fundraisers. Guests buy sheets of numbered tickets and drop them into containers next to the baskets they want to win. Drawings happen at the end of the event. It is a raffle under NJ law and needs both LGCCC registration and a municipal license, with the same prize caps and uniform ticket pricing as a standard raffle.
How do I report an illegal raffle in NJ?
You can report an illegal raffle to the LGCCC by mail at Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission, P.O. Box 46000, Newark, New Jersey 07101; by email at AskGames@dca.njoag.gov; or by phone at (973) 273-8000.
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