Football squares raffle rules in Illinois

Are charitable football raffles legal in Illinois?

Illinois licenses charitable raffles locally, but its Raffles and Poker Runs Act says the winning ticket “shall not be determined by the outcome of a publicly exhibited sporting contest” (230 ILCS 15/1). A football squares game whose winner comes from the game score is excluded by that language, so it does not qualify as a raffle in Illinois — in any format. Get written legal advice before selling a ticket.

Illinois's charitable raffles are governed by Illinois Raffles and Poker Runs Act (230 ILCS 15). Regulator: local municipal or county government.

Do you need to register to run a raffle in Illinois?

Illinois licenses raffles at the local level: apply to the municipality (or county) with jurisdiction over where you'll draw the winners. The organization generally must have existed continuously for five years and operate without profit to its members. Local governments set the fees, ticket-price and prize limits, and other rules by ordinance.

Can you sell raffle tickets online in Illinois?

How raffle tickets may be sold in Illinois is set by the Act and your local ordinance; sell tickets in person unless your local licensing authority permits another method.

Who can run a charitable raffle in Illinois?

Bona fide religious, charitable, labor, business, fraternal, educational, veterans', or other not-for-profit organizations that operate without profit to members and have existed continuously for five years.

How do you stay compliant in Illinois?

• Determine the winner by a drawing — Illinois law excludes any raffle whose winner is set by the outcome of a sporting contest (230 ILCS 15/1).
• Get a raffle license from the municipality or county where you'll draw the winners.
• Meet the five-year continuous-existence requirement.
• Follow your local ordinance's ticket-price and prize limits.
• Keep raffle records for at least three years.
• Use net proceeds for the organization's lawful purposes.

Illinois doesn't set a fixed statewide percentage; net proceeds must go to the lawful purposes of the organization, and local ordinances may add their own limits.