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Original poster

To think this is not how raffles work?

221 replies

PopcornAndPizza · 16/07/2025 05:37

Hotly contested discussion at work and although light-hearted I now think I'm either losing the plot or almost all my work colleagues are all weird.

A colleague was pleased yesterday that she had won a coffee voucher at her grandsons school raffle. She mentioned her prize was the 8th top prize and that unfortunately her ticket didn't win any more prizes after that including the top prize which was a tablet.

I was only half paying attention until the other colleague (that I think is right) then said well surely they announced that one first? To which she replied well no they did that one last to build suspense.

To help the other colleague I tried to point out that's not how it works because then your ticket isn't actually in with the chance of winning the top prize but only me and this one other lady had this viewpoint, everyone else couldn't see the issue.

It's not us is it, that's not how raffles work? Surely the top prize should be drawn first so everyone has an equal chance at winning?

OP posts:
DappledThings · 16/07/2025 05:42

There are loads of different ways of doing it. Sometimes all prizes have a corresponding ticket attached. So the "top" prize is ticket 537 and whenever 537 is called that is won whether it's first or ninth.

Or each winner gets to pick their own prize.

whynotmereally · 16/07/2025 05:44

So she didn’t understand her ticket was only allocated to one prize and thought they might call her number again?

I get the suspense element but that’s surely only for the people still in with a chance?
or did she buy a strip so potentially other tickets could win?

JustJoinedRightNow · 16/07/2025 05:45

OP you are correct. First one drawn wins the top prize.

Ineffable23 · 16/07/2025 05:47

DappledThings · 16/07/2025 05:42

There are loads of different ways of doing it. Sometimes all prizes have a corresponding ticket attached. So the "top" prize is ticket 537 and whenever 537 is called that is won whether it's first or ninth.

Or each winner gets to pick their own prize.

Isn't it a tombola if the tickets are already attached to the prizes?

Original poster
PopcornAndPizza · 16/07/2025 05:48

DappledThings · 16/07/2025 05:42

There are loads of different ways of doing it. Sometimes all prizes have a corresponding ticket attached. So the "top" prize is ticket 537 and whenever 537 is called that is won whether it's first or ninth.

Or each winner gets to pick their own prize.

But in those instances everyone has an equal chance of winning the top prize.

In the way they did the raffle my colleague attended once you'd won the 'lesser' prize your ticket wasn't eligible to win the top prize.

She had a strip of tickets and the others 4 numbers didn't win if that makes sense?

OP posts:
Yellowbirdcage · 16/07/2025 05:52

I prefer the way they did it. Realistically it’s bits of paper they’re drawing out of a bucket so they’re not going to chuck a winning number back in. Most people won’t win anything anyway so it would be weird to have a system with potential for one number to scoop multiple prizes.
No it’s not a tombola. That would be drawing a number out of a bucket and seeing instantly if it was a winner.

Yellowbirdcage · 16/07/2025 05:54

Have also attended raffles where prizes are on a table and winners go up and take what they want until only the crap is left. Only works when all potential winners are in the room.
I was first winner once and shocked the room by not picking the giant TV!

CallMeFlo · 16/07/2025 06:00

Id say youre right.

Looking at the raffle prizes at our village Christmas lights last year. 1st prize was a table for 10 at a party night. Last prize was 2 fish suppers from the local chippy.

If im entering that I want the party night. First ticket out should get that then next tickets out go down the list. Who'd want to be drawn first and get a fish supper knowing they were no longer in the running for the party night, and other big prizes.

First ticket out gets the big value prize or First pick

Original poster
PopcornAndPizza · 16/07/2025 06:06

First ticket out gets the big value prize or First pick

This is mine and the other staff members viewpoint. The tablet was used as a carrot so to speak as in you could win this great prize but the way they drew it meant actually some of you couldn't win it if your ticket was drawn for an earlier prize.

The others couldn't see our logic at all.

OP posts:
AgileLilacHelper · 16/07/2025 06:18

PopcornAndPizza · 16/07/2025 06:06

First ticket out gets the big value prize or First pick

This is mine and the other staff members viewpoint. The tablet was used as a carrot so to speak as in you could win this great prize but the way they drew it meant actually some of you couldn't win it if your ticket was drawn for an earlier prize.

The others couldn't see our logic at all.

Edited

Does anyone really go into a raffle expecting or hoping to win the big prize (or any prize)?

The odds are extremely low, so any prize is a win - I’m surely not the only one who’s just buying a ticket because it’s fundraising for x school or y charity… it’s essentially a donation.

DappledThings · 16/07/2025 06:29

Ineffable23 · 16/07/2025 05:47

Isn't it a tombola if the tickets are already attached to the prizes?

Show quote history

Yeah, might be. I don't think I've thought about the difference that much.

Nor whether the order of the prizes being drawn matters. It's just making a donation to a charity and if you get a prize of any kind that's a bonus.

TwoToots · 16/07/2025 06:33

AgileLilacHelper · 16/07/2025 06:18

Does anyone really go into a raffle expecting or hoping to win the big prize (or any prize)?

The odds are extremely low, so any prize is a win - I’m surely not the only one who’s just buying a ticket because it’s fundraising for x school or y charity… it’s essentially a donation.

Show quote history

That’s not the point though. There are rules for raffles in the uk.

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/fundraising-prize-draws-raffles-and-lotteries

Gambling Commission Logo

Fundraising, raffles and lotteries

This guide will give you information about the different types of raffles and lotteries you can run and informs you of the rules you should follow.

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/fundraising-prize-draws-raffles-and-lotteries

WaitedBlankey · 16/07/2025 06:33

Both ways are perfectly valid. As long as they say which prize they are drawing, then they pick the ticket so people aren’t assuming one thing and getting another. It makes absolutely no difference to the odds either way.

Once your colleague had won with ticket 326, she still had 327, 328, 329 and 330 that could win a bigger prize.

If you have a big group of people watching, they all bugger off once the decent prizes are done. Building suspense keeps everyone there. Think of it like a Top Of The Pops countdown.

sashh · 16/07/2025 06:43

OP

You are right but some people don't understand logic.

My neighbour's daughter was visiting her, with 5 children in tow from London. I am in Wolverhampton.

She wanted to take the children to Alton Towers. Now I am going to make up the costs because I'm not going to look them up and this was a few years ago, but for the sake of argument Entry in to Alton Towers was £30.

The local bus/coach company runs day trips to Alton Towers, they obviously bulk buy the tickets so for £25 you got entry but you also got transport there and back.

But she would not get the bus because she couldn't use her 'friends and family' rail card.

I could not persuade her that it would cost her more and the nearest station to AT is Stoke-on-Trent, 15 miles away.

Original poster
PopcornAndPizza · 16/07/2025 06:47

Once your colleague had won with ticket 326, she still had 327, 328, 329 and 330 that could win a bigger prize.

But it's not about having 4 tickets that could still win the tablet it's that all the tickets should have the same chance of winning the top prize which is presumably known to be superior and therefore used as a top prize to gain more sales.

Our argument was that all tickets should have a chance to win the main prize which is why you draw that prize first.

OP posts:
DappledThings · 16/07/2025 06:47

You are right but some people don't understand logic.
I understand the logic, I just don't agree that's it's necessarily the "right" way. Unless it's actually advertised as saying they will call the biggest prize first then nobody has been misled

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 16/07/2025 06:49

JustJoinedRightNow · 16/07/2025 05:45

OP you are correct. First one drawn wins the top prize.

It may well have been drawn first, but announced last.

honeylulu · 16/07/2025 07:01

I haven't read the rules admittedly but surely the key thing is that there must be an element of chance. So whether you start with the biggest prize downwards or the smallest prize upwards (or allow the winner to select from prizes available at that point) each ticket in the raffle at that point has an equal chance of being drawn. That seems to be what happened.

I agree that the better way is to do biggest/ best prize first as each ticket has the lowest probability at that stage i.e. 1 in 400. Next draw it is 1 in 399, next 1 in 398 etc. I see what they mean about "suspense" though.

Or do you mean because she had won a low prize the rest of her strip was declared invalid for later draws? That would definitely be in breach of the rules (though I've seen that happen).

rightoguvnor · 16/07/2025 07:18

I agree with you. At the outset the organisers should declare whether those tickets pulled get to choose a prize or whether the prizes are allocated (as in “now we are drawing for the wonderful prize of a year’s toilet cleaner”. If allocated it should be the highest value first so that all the numbers are in the pot with a chance because once a number is pulled it isn’t returned to the pot.

zaxxon · 16/07/2025 07:21

But surely the benefit of having won a smaller prize offsets the disadvantage of having reduced odds of winning the bigger prize? (in theory)

Say I have four raffle tickets, and the smaller prizes are drawn first, as in OP's example. I win £10 with my first ticket. Now I only have three chances left to win the big prize, but I'm compensated by having £10 in exchange, which no other ticket holder gets.

LessOfThis · 16/07/2025 07:23

The only thing more boring than a raffle is a discussion about how a raffle works.

CyberStrider · 16/07/2025 07:24

Our argument was that all tickets should have a chance to win the main prize which is why you draw that prize first.

Everyone who bought a ticket had a chance at winning the main prize, the fact that to win the main prize your ticket had to not be drawn for a smaller prize doesn't negate that

Original poster
PopcornAndPizza · 16/07/2025 07:25

LessOfThis · 16/07/2025 07:23

The only thing more boring than a raffle is a discussion about how a raffle works.

Edited

And yet you still felt the need to comment... 😅

OP posts:
Moonnstars · 16/07/2025 07:25

I think as long as they declared what the prize would be rather than making it up once they saw who had won then there isn't an issue e.g. 'the next ticket is for the tablet' 'ticket number 56 come and collect your prize'.

Once that number has been drawn I would expect it to be binned but if she had more numbers I would expect them to still allow her to win a prize if that number was called e.g. 57

GeorgeMichaelsCat · 16/07/2025 07:34

All the raffles I've seen, you pick your own prize.