Home › Guides › Raffles, tombolas and prize draws at dog shows: how breed-club fundraising works
Most Scottish Deerhound breed clubs and larger dog shows fund their operations and charitable work through raffles, tombolas, and prize draws. These low-stakes fundraising methods have been a cornerstone of UK dog-showing culture for decades, providing clubs with unrestricted income for health research, rescue support, and breed education. If you show dogs or attend breed-club events, understanding how these draws work—and what you might expect to win—is useful context for your involvement.
How breed clubs use prize draws and raffles
Breed clubs raise funds through several related but distinct methods:
- Simple raffles: a draw in which ticket holders each contribute a small amount (typically £1–5) for a numbered ticket, with winners drawn at random for a single prize or series of prizes
- Tombolas: a prize-per-ticket model where each attendee is guaranteed a small item (often donated) in exchange for a ticket; larger tombolas may include a “golden ticket” with a premium prize
- Prize draws: entries collected over time (often free entry via showing or membership) for a major draw that takes place at a championship show or annual awards dinner
The most successful draws depend on donated prizes. Breed members—exhibitors, past champions’ breeders, and allied businesses—contribute goods worth far more than the revenue generated. For example, a breeder might donate £500 worth of show training or a local business might contribute a grooming package, whilst the club’s ticket sales total only £80–120.
Who runs these draws and where
Breed-club committees usually administer raffles at their annual championship show, at breed-club seminars or health clinics, and increasingly online. The Scottish Deerhound Club, for instance, has held prize draws as part of its autumn and spring shows since the 1990s. Shows organised by Kennel Club-licensed show societies may also hold raffles with proceeds split between the society and a nominated breed club or charity.
Local club events—breed-specific seminars, training demonstrations, health evenings and social gatherings—often feature tombolas because they work well in a social setting and encourage attendees to stay longer.
What you might win
Deerhound-focused draws typically offer prizes such as:
- Showing equipment: coats, leads, show boxes, training leads
- Dog care items: grooming tools, supplements, specialist shampoos, orthopedic beds
- Experience prizes: a grooming consultation from a breed specialist, a training session with a handler, or show-day assistance at a major championship
- Branded merchandise: club badges, show programmes, books on the breed
- Occasionally higher-value prizes: weekends away pet-sitting a top show dog, lifetime club memberships, or paid entries to a future show
Larger shows may include a raffle with a car, a holiday package, or a sponsored piece of jewellery—though deerhound-specific club draws rarely reach this scale. Most draw tickets cost between 50p and £3, so expect prize values to reflect that modest outlay.
The rules that apply
In the UK, raffles and prize draws fall under different legal frameworks depending on size and structure:
Small raffles (under £20,000 total prize value per year) run by registered charities, not-for-profit clubs, or on behalf of good causes are typically unregistered and fall outside most licensing requirements, provided:
- Participation is open only to club members or show attendees (not the general public)
- No profit beyond covering costs is retained
- The draw is clearly advertised and fairly conducted
Prize draws (where entry is free or incidental to another service, like a show entry fee) are generally not classified as gambling and face fewer restrictions than paid raffles.
Registered lotteries (where entrance fees fund the draw exclusively) require licensing where the promoted total is above certain thresholds. Most breed-club draws operate deliberately within informal or small-draw exemptions precisely to avoid licensing complexity.
Breed clubs should maintain simple records: ticket numbers sold, prize values, and amounts raised. If the club is a registered charity, these details should be reportable to the Charity Commission as part of annual fundraising transparency requirements.
Why breed clubs run these draws
The income is essential. UK breed clubs typically operate on membership fees, show entry levies, and fundraising. Prize draws generate £1,000–5,000 annually for a well-supported breed club—enough to fund a health testing seminar, contribute to a rescue support budget, or subsidise a new exhibitor’s entry fees at a championship show.
Crucially, because these draws are low-risk, informal, and framed as community fundraising rather than gaming, they remain culturally accepted and legally manageable. A breed club cannot rely on higher-turnover gambling to replace membership income; the legal and ethical barriers are too high. Raffles and tombolas fit the scale and values of a volunteer-run community.
If you’re new to dog showing
When you attend a breed championship show, expect to see raffle tickets sold at the entrance or from the breed-club stand. You are not obligated to buy, but most exhibitors do participate to support the club’s work. The draw usually takes place mid-day on the show day, with winners announced by loudspeaker or in the show programme. You do not have to be present to win—the club will contact you if your ticket is drawn.
If you join a breed club, ask the committee how they use raffle proceeds. Most clubs transparently report this in their annual newsletter or AGM notes, and many reserve raffle funds for specific health or rescue initiatives so members know their small ticket purchase has a clear purpose.
Key points
- Breed clubs fund health research, rescue support, and educational work largely through small raffles, tombolas, and prize draws
- These are low-stake fundraising methods, not gambling enterprises, with typical ticket prices of £1–5 and modest prize values
- Most draws operate under informal exemptions from licensing requirements because participation is restricted to members or show attendees and profit margins are minimal
- Prize donations from breed members and businesses ensure the club raises several times more than the cost of tickets
- Winning a draw is a cultural feature of UK dog-showing life; expect to encounter raffles at any breed championship show or club event