A. Except as provided in subsection B, a qualified organization may sell raffle tickets both in and out of the jurisdiction designated in its permit and shall conduct the drawing within the Commonwealth.

Have a question?
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 18.2-340.26

  • Conduct: means the actions associated with the provision of a gaming operation during and immediately before or after the permitted activity, which may include (i) selling bingo cards or packs, electronic devices, instant bingo or pull-tab cards, or raffle tickets, (ii) calling bingo games, (iii) distributing prizes, and (iv) any other services provided by volunteer workers. See Virginia Code 18.2-340.16
  • Department: means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Virginia Code 18.2-340.16
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Organization: means any one of the following:

    1. See Virginia Code 18.2-340.16

  • permit: means a permit issued by the Department to an organization that authorizes such organization to conduct charitable gaming, and if such organization is qualified as a social organization, electronic gaming. See Virginia Code 18.2-340.16
  • Qualified organization: means any organization to which a valid permit has been issued by the Department to conduct charitable gaming or any organization that is exempt pursuant to § 18. See Virginia Code 18.2-340.16
  • Raffle: means a lottery in which the prize is won by (i) a random drawing of the name or prearranged number of one or more persons purchasing chances or (ii) a random contest in which the winning name or preassigned number of one or more persons purchasing chances is determined by a race involving inanimate objects floating on a body of water, commonly referred to as a "duck race. See Virginia Code 18.2-340.16

B. A qualified organization may sell raffle tickets for a raffle drawing which will be held outside the Commonwealth, provided the raffle is conducted in accordance with (i) Department regulations and (ii) the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which the raffle drawing will be held.

C. Before a prize drawing, each stub or other detachable section of each ticket sold or won through some other authorized charitable game conducted by the same organization holding the raffle, shall be placed into a receptacle from which the winning tickets are drawn. The receptacle shall be designed so that each ticket placed in it has an equal chance of being drawn.

1995, c. 837; 1997, cc. 777, 838; 2001, c. 833; 2003, c. 884; 2006, c. 644; 2008, c. 573; 2022, cc. 554, 609.