Games of Chance/Prizes

Lotteries are highly regulated games of chance which are governed by New York State gambling statutes.

RIT has strict rules relative to conducting all promotions/events where an item of value will be given away and the winner will be selected by chance drawing, including but not limited to games of chance, raffles, bingo, and prize giveaways to ensure compliance with the law.

If you are planning an event or promotion that involves giving away some item of value (regardless of the dollar value - candy, pins, t-shirts, mugs, gift cards, etc.) where the winner of that item will be selected by a random drawing, there are specific rules that must be followed. Consult with the Office of Legal Affairs to ensure you have completed the correct paperwork prior to your event.

Additionally, there are other events/promotions on campus that involve prizes or giving away items of value that require participants to do something in order to be eligible to win the prize. Those events/promotions need to be reviewed by the Office of Legal Affairs to ensure they are complying with applicable regulations. Additional information and guidance is provided below. For those specific promotions that require official rules, please consult with the Office of Legal Affairs for the appropriate template.

A raffle is where you sell tickets at an established price in order for participants to be entered into a drawing for the chance to win an item of value. This is only open to those who have purchased raffle tickets. An admission fee may be charged for the event where the raffle tickets are being sold, but you cannot give away a “free” raffle ticket with the payment of the admission fee.

RIT requires that every raffle be approved by the RIT Office of Legal Affairs before any tickets are sold. The Raffle Approval Form must be submitted for approval no less than ten (10) business days before the first date of ticket sales.

50/50 raffles are allowed, however, no other split is allowed (i.e. 60/40, etc.). Additionally, Gene Polisseni Center does not allow 50/50 raffles; they will only allow raffles of a physical item (i.e. hockey stick, jersey, gift card, etc.)

A free prize drawing is where tickets are given, free of charge, to anyone and everyone attending the event for entry into a drawing for a chance to win an item of value. You must ensure that there is absolutely no purchase necessary to enter the event or to obtain a prize drawing ticket. You cannot require the exchange of anything of value in order to obtain a ticket into the drawing for the item of value (e.g. donate a canned good to receive a ticket). DO NOT refer to this as a raffle.

Awarding prizes based on a contest using a skill based or timed activity to determine a winner?

  • Chance cannot be injected in the process - in the event of a tie, winners CANNOT be selected by chance (e.g. put two names in a hat and select one as the winner)
  • Must ensure a definitive tie breaker based on some talent-based assessment
  • Judging must be objective and clearly disclosed
  • Judges must be qualified to apply the judging criteria
  • All entrants must be competing on the same playing field (i.e. all entries must be judged)
  • Must post official rules

Contest Official Rules must contain:

  1. Complete name and address of the sponsor and promoter of the contest
  2. The exact criteria that all entries will be judged by
  3. The maximum cost to the participant, if any
  4. The identity or description of judges and their qualifications
  5. How winners will be determined and when
  6. Number of prizes, the accurate description of each prize, the retail value of each prize
  7. Geographic area of the contest
  8. Opening date and scheduled termination date of the contest
  9. Where and when a list of winners can be obtained
  10. Special eligibility requirements and other requirements/prohibitions

Once posted, cannot be changed

Consult with Office of Legal Affairs for an Official Rules Template

Offering a prize/prizes as an incentive to do something where there is no purchase necessary but there is a random drawing to determine a winner?

The issue with giving away a prize as an incentive to do something, in many cases this is used to fill out a survey, is that it can create an illegal lottery if not structured properly. A lottery is a promotion that has three elements: prize, consideration, winner chosen by chance. With a sweepstakes drawing, there needs to be absolutely no purchase necessary (consideration) to enter in order to avoid creating an issue. Obviously with filling out a survey there isn’t any purchase, but there is case law to suggest that the time someone invests into doing certain tasks can actually satisfy the “consideration” element which is why the official rules require the alternate method of entry. Filling out a survey is one of those tasks that would constitute “consideration”. Therefore, you have to offer the option for participants to enter the drawing without participating in the survey at all to avoid the risk of creating the illegal lottery.

Official rules must be posted.

Official Rules must contain:

  1. No purchase is necessary to enter and will not improve the chances of winning.
  2. Opening date and scheduled termination date of the sweepstakes.
  3. Eligibility requirements - geographic area of the sweepstakes and/or who is eligible to participate in the sweepstakes (age, residency, etc. also specify exclusions).
  4. Method to enter – be sure to also include an alternative method of free participation - a “no purchase” method of entry.
  5. Limitations on the number of entries by a signal person or household.
  6. Odds of winning. In many cases the odds will depend on the number of eligible entries received, however, if a particular number of entry forms, direct mail pieces, or similar items will be distributed, the odds should be stated according to that number.
  7. Accurate description and retail value of the prize(s). State whether all prizes offered will be awarded.
  8. Manner of selection of winner(s), when the winner(s) will be selected and how the winner(s) will be notified.
  9. Where and when a list of winners can be obtained.
  10. Restrictions on receiving the prize (if applicable)
  11. Complete name and address of the sponsor and promoter of the contest.

Once posted, they cannot be changed

Consult with Office of Legal Affairs for an Official Rules Template

Awarding prizes based on games of skill?

  • Must be a bona fide skill - some method that the entrant is in control of their ability to win the prize based on their ability
  • Chance cannot be injected in the process - in the event of a tie, winners CANNOT be selected by chance (e.g. put two names in a hat and select one as the winner)
  • Must ensure a definitive, skill-based, tie breaker
  • Judging must be objective and clearly disclosed
  • Judges must be qualified to apply the judging criteria
  • All entrants must be competing on the same playing field (i.e. all entries must be judged)
  • Must post official rules

Games of Skill Official Rules must contain:

  1. Complete name and address of the sponsor and promoter of the contest
  2. The number of rounds or levels (if applicable, that subsequent rounds are more difficult)
  3. The maximum cost to the participant, if any
  4. The identity or description of judges and their qualifications
  5. How winners will be determined and when
  6. Number of prizes, the accurate description of each prize, the retail value of each prize
  7. Geographic area of the contest
  8. Opening date and scheduled termination date of the contest
  9. Where and when a list of winners can be obtained
  10. Special eligibility requirements and other requirements/prohibitions

Once posted, cannot be changed

Bingo is HIGHLY regulated and has extremely specific rules and restrictions.  Bingo games can only be played for fun, no money (or other item of value) can be exchanged in order to play Bingo and there cannot be any charge to enter the event where the Bingo game is being held.

The value of a single prize in any Bingo game cannot exceed $10 and the total value of all prizes awarded on any calendar day cannot exceed $150.  This means that you need to make sure that the total value of all prizes awarded for each Bingo game does not exceed $10.  If two or more people call Bingo in the same game, you will need to find another way to determine prize winner(s) that do not exceed a total value of $10 per game - you cannot award two $10 items, or two items with a total dollar value exceeding $10. 

RIT is not allowed to conduct Bingo games more than a total of fifteen (15) days during any calendar year.

If you intend to host a Bingo game, you must fill out the Bingo Approval Form and submit it to the Office of Legal Affairs no less than 10 business days prior to the date of the Bingo game.