Are football squares legal?

Is a football squares pool considered gambling?

Legally, gambling usually has three ingredients: you pay to enter (consideration), the outcome depends on luck (chance), and there's a prize. A squares pool has all three, so squares sold to the public for someone's profit can be treated as illegal gambling in many states.

What changes the picture is a charitable-raffle exemption. Most states let eligible nonprofits run raffles to raise money, under specific rules — and football squares can be organized to fit those rules.

What makes football squares a legal charitable raffle?

State laws differ, but a compliant charitable football squares raffle generally means:

• An eligible nonprofit runs it (for example, a 501(c) organization — a booster club, council, parish, or PTA).
• The proceeds go to the organization's charitable purpose, not to a private operator.
• Tickets are sold in person — many states prohibit selling raffle tickets online or by electronic means.
• The organization registers or gets a permit where the state requires it, and reports the results afterward.

This is general information, not legal advice. Charitable-gaming rules vary by state — check your state's requirements or ask your organization's counsel before you sell any tickets.

Do the rules vary by state?

Yes — a lot. Each state sets its own charitable-gaming rules. Some require the nonprofit to register before selling tickets, some cap how often you can hold a raffle, and many require that most of the money raised go to the charitable purpose.

California is a common model: under Penal Code §320.5, an eligible nonprofit registers with the state Attorney General, sells tickets in person, sends the large majority of the proceeds to its charitable purpose, and files an annual report. Your state's specifics will differ.

What about office pools and squares among friends?

A small, private squares pool where no one takes a cut and it's just friends splitting the prize is low enforcement risk in most places — though it can still be technically illegal in some states. Once you're selling to the public or raising money for an organization, the safe, legal path is the charitable-raffle route above.