04
Quick Win4 weeks

Raffles & Prize Draws

Christmas flagship plus event-embedded raffles. Modest effort, repeatable revenue, no licence required.

Profit margin~40%
200-home village$7,000annual revenue
Time to launch4 weeks
The case for it

A small programme of raffles run across the year. A flagship Christmas raffle, plus smaller raffles embedded in seasonal events (Australia Day, ANZAC Day, mid-year BBQs). At under $2,000 ticket sales each, they fall under Queensland's Category 1 rules and need no licence. Tickets sell in person and online; the draw is witnessed, the prize is presented, the proceeds fund the next event.

Average revenue by village size.

VillageAnnual revenueAnnual profitHours / week (team)
100 homes$3,500$1,4000.5 hr / week
200 homes$7,000$2,8001 hr / week
300 homes$10,500$4,2001–2 hrs / week

Figures assume a programme of 3–4 raffles per year (Christmas flagship plus event-embedded). Numbers are per total homes, not per participating home.

Benefits to the village.

  1. Excitement and ritual. Christmas raffle anticipation builds community connection.

  2. Visible cause-and-effect: residents see “we ran a raffle, here's what we bought”.

  3. Lifts attendance at events where raffles are drawn. Drives the rest of the programme.

  4. Local businesses donate prizes for goodwill. Creates supplier relationships.

Setup actions.

  1. Confirm 'eligible association' status

    An incorporated residents association formed for community purpose qualifies under the Charitable and Non-Profit Gaming Act 1999.

  2. Plan a programme of 3–4 raffles per year

    Keep each under $2,000 ticket sales — Category 1 rules, no licence required.

  3. Set ticket prices and prize value

    $2–$5 ticket price typical. Prize value at ≥20% of estimated ticket sales (the Cat 1 minimum).

  4. Source prizes

    Local business donations, member donations, association-purchased high-value items. Cap any alcohol prize at $1,000 retail value.

  5. Sell tickets at events and online

    BillabongLife's ticketing module handles online sales (Square-paid). Keep paper tickets for residents who prefer cash.

  6. Announce the raffle properly

    Prize list, draw date and beneficiary via BillabongLife notifications and clubhouse posters.

Operating model.

Tickets sell 2–3 weeks before each draw. Conduct the draw at a public event with a witnessed barrel pull or random number generator. Winners notified within 24 hours, prizes presented or arranged for collection. Treasurer records ticket revenue, prize cost and net surplus. Keep raffle records for at least one year. If any single raffle's ticket sales exceed $10,000, an audit by an approved accountant is required — stay under that line by running smaller, more frequent draws.

Where BillabongLife fits.

The software side

Online raffle ticketing with Square, witnessed draws, BillabongTV results.

Ticketing handles online raffle sales with Square. Notifications announce the prize and draw date. BillabongTV posts the winner, closing the loop with residents who couldn't make the draw.

Gold tierTicketing moduleSells raffle tickets online with Square, tracks revenue automatically, assigns ticket numbers.
Silver tierBulk SMS & notificationsAnnounces the prize, draw date and the beneficiary.
Gold tierBillabongTV digital signagePosts the result after the draw so even residents who weren't there feel part of it.
Tier recommendationGold-tier required for online ticketing. A paper-only raffle programme is Silver-feasible but caps the addressable revenue.
Want one of these?

A tailored playbook for your village.

Tell us your size and stage and we'll send a costed proposal with revenue projections specific to your village, plus a 30-minute call.