Bazaar and Raffle Permits
IMPORTANT:
Any game of chance for which tickets/chances are sold MUST have a permit. Some types of games of chance are not legal in Connecticut, including "Las Vegas" events and money wheels. Alcohol and cash may NOT be given as a prize. Raffle and Bazaar events can only be sponsored and conducted by groups meeting specific non-profit status. Individuals may not conduct fundraiser games of chance to raise money for an individual/family in need. Door prizes for which no purchase was made (everyone receives a free ticket/chance) and auctions do not require a gaming permit. Competition events that are completely skill-based, vs. chance, do not require a gaming permit. Please read below for more information.
- Please provide full legal names, AKAs (maiden, etc.), dates of birth and addresses for all persons listed on the forms. If there is not enough room on the form, provide the list on a separate piece of paper. We will not be able to process the application without this information in full. Please list the other name(s) OR indicate "No AKAs" under each signature section on the Statement of Active Members.
- Please mail your completed form(s), at least 30 days prior to event/need for permit, to Town of Woodstock, Attn: Selectman’s Office, 415 Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281. Although permits are often available in fewer than 30 days, we are not able to expedite the raffle/bazaar permit process due to staffing, workload, and schedules of all individuals involved in the process. Thank you for your understanding.
- Fees: The Selectman’s Office will notify you of any fees after review of your application. Please do not send a check with the form. You will be notified if your application is approved and at that time you would pay the fee for the permit.
- You may not conduct any part of your fundraiser (e.g., sell tickets) until you have received your permit.
- The organization applicant must have been functioning as a tax exempt entity under 501(c) for a minimum of six (6) months and have a Federal ID Number.
WHO MUST SUBMIT AN APPLICATION?
- Eligible Organizations: Charitable, civic, education, fraternal, veterans’ or religious organization, volunteer fire department or grange.
- Failure to comply with relevant State statutes can result in permit revocation, fines, imprisonment and the inability to obtain a permit in Woodstock, CT for up to three (3) years.
- Public Act Co 17-231 An Act Concerning Municipalities and Bingo Games, Bazaars and Raffles took effect on January 1, 2018. Application is now made directly through the Woodstock First Selectman’s Office. See below for important information and the necessary forms. Please call the First Selectman’s Office at 860-928-0208 X 310 with questions or for more information about the process.
Which type of Permit Application Form do I need to fill out? Do I need a Raffle Permit or a Bazaar Permit?
Types of Raffles:
Duck Race, Frog Race, Cow Chip Raffle, Golf Ball Drop
Duck-Race Raffle
Any sponsoring organization qualified to conduct a bazaar or raffle may operate a duck-race raffle once each calendar year
Duck race raffle means a raffle in which artificial ducks, numbered consecutively to correspond with the number of tickets sold for such raffle are placed in a naturally moving stream of water at a designated starting point and in which the ticket corresponding to the number of the first duck to pass a designated finishing point is the winning ticket
Frog-Race Raffle
Any sponsoring organization qualified to conduct a bazaar or raffle may operate a frog race raffle once each calendar year
Frog race raffle means a raffle in which artificial frogs numbered consecutively to correspond with the number of tickets sold for such raffle are placed in a naturally moving stream of water at a designated starting point and in which the ticket corresponding to the number of the first frog to pass a designated finishing point is the winning ticket
Cow-Chip Raffle
Any sponsoring organization qualified to conduct a bazaar or raffle may operate a cow-chip raffle once a calendar year and may award cash prizes in connection with such raffle
A cow-chip raffle shall allow for the sale of consecutively numbered tickets with correspondingly numbered stubs entitling the holders of such tickets to the temporary possession of a plot of land for purposes of the conduct of the cow-chip raffle
Each sponsoring organization conducting a cow-chip raffle shall provide for a suitable land area on which the cow-chip raffle activity is to be conducted
The area shall be sufficiently enclosed so as to confine any animal utilized in the conduct of the cow-chip raffle during the period in which the animal is so utilized
The area shall be adequately marked so as to display the number of plots to be utilized, which shall correspond to the number of cow-chip raffle tickets to be sold
The manner in which winners in a cow-chip raffle are determined shall be clearly stated prior to the commencement of a cow-chip raffle drawing and each sponsoring organization shall conspicuously post an information board which shall display the consecutively numbered plots of the cow-chip raffle event
A cow-chip raffle drawing shall commence at a designated time and shall continue until all winners of authorized prizes have been determined.
No person may feed, lead or handle any animal utilized in a cow-chip raffle once the animal has entered into the enclosed area from which winners will be determined
Each sponsoring organization conducting a cow-chip raffle shall deposit all proceeds from the conduct of such raffle in a special checking account established and maintained by such organization, which shall be subject to audit by the municipal official
Any expense incidental to the conduct of such raffle shall be paid from the gross receipts of cow-chip raffle tickets and only by checks drawn from such checking account
All cash prizes awarded shall be paid from such checking account
Golf Ball-Drop Raffle
Any sponsoring organization qualified to conduct a bazaar or raffle may operate a golf ball-drop raffle once each calendar year.
Golf ball drop raffle means a raffle in which golf balls numbered consecutively to correspond with the number of tickets sold for such raffle are dropped from a pay loader, bucket truck, crane or similar vehicle, platform, helicopter, hot air balloon or other aircraft hovering above a designated target, and in which the ticket corresponding to the number of the first golf ball to be closest to the center of the designated target is the winning ticket
Special Tuition Raffle
Any organization qualified to conduct a bazaar or raffle may conduct a special tuition raffle once each calendar year.The municipality where the tuition raffle is to be conducted may, by ordinance:
Allow any organization permitted to conduct a tuition raffle to fund all or part of a student recipient’s education or to pay all or part of a student recipient’s student loan each year for a period not to exceed for years
Permit the student recipient to be the actual tuition raffle winner, a relative of the raffle winner or a student chosen by the raffle winner
Give authority to the sponsoring organization to permit the tuition prize to be divided among student recipients designated by the raffle winner
Provide that the tuition prize be paid each consecutive year, commencing with the first year of the student recipients education at an accredited private or parochial school, or public or independent institution of higher education selected by the student recipient
Provide that the tuition prize be paid directly to the educational institution or financial institution that made the student loan designated by the student recipient and no tuition prize shall be redeemed or redeemable for cash
Provide that the tuition raffle winner have a period not to exceed four years to designate a student recipient
All proceeds of a tuition raffle shall be deposited in a special dedicated bank account approved by the municipal official and all tuition raffle expenses shall be paid from such account
The municipal official shall prescribe the maintenance of tuition raffle accounts by any sponsoring organization and such accounts shall be subject to audit by the municipal official.
The municipal official may require any organization conducting a tuition raffle to post a performance bond in an amount sufficient to fully fund the tuition raffle prize to be awarded
Any organization permitted to conduct a tuition raffle shall file a tuition raffle financial report in a manner prescribed by the municipal official.
Such report shall detail the status of the tuition prize money or the raffle and any other information that the municipal official may require, on a quarterly basis, during the months of January, April, July and October, until all tuition or student loan payments for each tuition raffle have been paid.
Please Complete the Following Two Forms: the Raffle Application Form and the Statement of Active Members for Raffle:
Link to Statement of Active Members for Raffle
Please fill out your Raffle Application form and the Statement of Active Members for Raffle form and mail it to the Selectmen’s Office at the Woodstock Town Hall, 415 Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281.
Please review the following files to view a Sample Raffle Form, which includes instructions on how to complete the form, and the Raffle Verified Statement document, which needs to be filled out after the completion of the raffle, then mailed to the Selectmen’s Office.
Link to Raffle-Sample with Instructions
Link to Raffle Verified Statement
Types of Bazaars:
50/50, Teacup Raffle, Blower Ball/Cage Ball
Fifty-fifty Coupon Games
Any sponsoring organization conducting a bazaar may operate a “fifty-fifty” coupon games each day of a permitted bazaar event and may award cash prizes of fifty percent of “fifty-fifty” coupon games sales for each coupon drawing conducted. Not more than three scheduled drawings may be held on any day on which a bazaar is permitted.
A fifty-fifty coupon game shall be operated from an authorized bazaar booth and shall allow for the sale of fifty-fifty coupons at a predetermined uniform price.
Each fifty-fifty coupon shall be consecutively numbered and shall have a corresponding numbered stub
Each sponsoring organization shall provide different colored coupons for each drawing and shall award one prize for each drawing held
Each sponsoring organization conducting such games shall conspicuously post, at each bazaar booth at which such games are conducted, a notice or notices which shall include the dates, times and places of any fifty-fifty coupon drawings, as well as the prices and colors of coupons to be sold at each drawing
The municipal officer shall prescribe the form of such notice which shall contain the following statement:
“Holders of coupons must be present to claim a prize.”
Each such organization shall account for each coupon printed and sold for each drawing and shall announce the amount of sales and prize to be awarded immediately prior to each drawing
The sponsoring organization shall preserve all sold and unsold coupons or stubs for a period of at least one year from the date of the verified statement
Teacup Raffle
Any sponsoring organization conducting a bazaar may operate a “teacup raffle,” and may through the sale of chances award prizes consisting of gift certificates or merchandise
No such organization may conduct more than one scheduled “teacup raffle” drawing for all prizes offered on any day on which a bazaar is permitted
A teacup raffle shall be operated from an authorized bazaar booth
Each teacup raffle ticket shall
Be consecutively numbered and have a correspondingly numbered stub that shall include the name, address and telephone number of the purchaser
Be a sheet containing up to twenty-five coupons, each bearing the same number, and including a “hold” stub for the purchaser and a correspondingly numbered stub including the name address and telephone number of the purchaser
Sheet tickets shall be made available for purchase by permittees as fund raising items at a price not to exceed ten percent above the purchase price
Each sponsoring organization conducting such raffle shall conspicuously post, at each bazaar booth at which such raffle is conducted, a notice or notices that include the data and time of teacup raffle drawing
The sponsoring organization shall preserve all sold and unsold tickets or stubs for a period of at least one year from the date of the verified statement
Blower Ball/Cage Ball Games
Any sponsoring organization conducting a bazaar may operate a “Blower Ball/Cage Ball Game” and may through the sale of chances award prizes consisting of gift certificates or merchandise
A “blower ball” game is a game of chance in which players wager on a color or number and winners are determined by the drawing of a colored or numbered ball from a mechanical ball blower that mixes ping pong balls with blown air.
Please Complete the Following Two Forms: the Bazaar Application Form and the Statement of Active Members for Bazaar:
Link to Statement of Active Members for Bazaar
Please fill out your Bazaar Application form and the Statement of Active Members for Bazaar form and mail it to the Selectmen’s Office at the Woodstock Town Hall, 415 Route 169, Woodstock, CT 06281.
Please review the following files to view a Sample Bazaar Form, which includes instructions on how to complete the form, and the Bazaar Verified Statement document, which needs to be filled out after the completion of the raffle, then mailed to the Selectmen’s Office.
Link to Bazaar Sample with Instructions