Chapter 563

563.92(1m)(a) (a) The department may issue a Class A license or a Class B license to any qualified organization that applies.

563.92(1m)(b) (b) Under a Class A license, an organization may do all of the following:

563.92(1m)(b)1. 1. Conduct single-container raffles, a calendar raffle, or plastic or rubber duck races if the raffles or races are authorized under s. 563.908.

563.92(1m)(b)2. 2. Sell some or all tickets on days other than the same day as the drawing.

563.92(1m)(b)3. 3. Sell equal shares of a single ticket to one or more purchasers.

563.92(1m)(c) (c) Under a Class B license, an organization may do all of the following:

563.92(1m)(c)1. 1. Conduct multiple-container raffles or plastic or rubber duck races if the raffles or races are authorized under s. 563.908.

563.92(1m)(c)2. 2. Sell tickets in either of the following ways:

563.92(1m)(c)2.a. a. On the same day as the drawing.

563.92(1m)(c)2.b. b. On more than one day if the organization distributes tickets to purchasers only at the event at which the drawing will take place.

563.92(2) (2) The fee for a raffle license shall be $25 and shall be remitted with the application. A raffle license shall be valid for 12 months and may be renewed as provided in s. 563.98 (1g). The department shall issue the license within 30 days after the filing of a complete application if the applicant qualifies under s. 563.907 and has not exceeded the limits of s. 563.91. The department shall notify the applicant within 15 days after it is filed if the raffle license application is incomplete or the application shall be considered complete. A complete license application that is not denied within 30 days after its filing shall be considered approved. All moneys received by the department under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (8) (jn).

563.92(4) (4) The department may conduct proceedings to suspend or revoke an organization’s license to conduct raffles for failing to comply with the requirements of this subchapter.

563.92 History History: 1977 c. 426; 1979 c. 34 s. 2100 (45) (a); 1983 a. 222; 1989 a. 147; 1991 a. 39, 189; 1991 a. 269 s. 782mt; Stats. 1991 s. 563.92; 1991 a. 315; 1995 a. 27 ss. 6976d, 6976f, 9123 (6pp); 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 5; 2001 a. 16; 2013 a. 273; 2015 a. 6; 2021 a. 58.

563.925 563.925 Liability.

563.925(1) (1) With respect to a raffle conducted under a Class A license, the department shall not be held responsible or liable in any dispute regarding the ownership or sale of a share of a ticket under s. 563.93 (3i).

563.925(2) (2) The department and the organization conducting a raffle under a Class B license shall not be held responsible or liable in any dispute regarding the ownership of a ticket if the purchaser of the ticket gives the ticket to another person to claim a prize on behalf of the purchaser under s. 563.935 (6) (c).

563.925 History History: 2015 a. 6.

563.93 563.93 The conduct of raffles under a Class A license. All of the following shall apply to the conduct of a raffle under a Class A license:

563.93(1e) (1e) No person may sell a ticket or calendar unless authorized by an organization with a Class A license.

563.93(1m) (1m) All tickets and all calendars shall be identical in form and include:

563.93(1m)(a) (a) The number of the license issued by the department.

563.93(1m)(b) (b) The name and address of the sponsoring organization.

563.93(1m)(c) (c) The price of the ticket or calendar and the discounted price, if any, applicable to multiple ticket or calendar purchases.

563.93(1m)(d) (d) A place for the purchaser to enter his or her name and address.

563.93(1m)(e) (e) The date, time and place of each drawing.

563.93(1m)(f) (f) A list of each prize to be awarded that has a fair market value of $1,000 or more.

563.93(2g) (2g) An organization that conducts a raffle under a Class A raffle license shall do all of the following:

563.93(2g)(a) (a) Prominently display, at each place where tickets may be purchased, a notice describing any state or federal law that imposes an age restriction on who may possess a prize that will be awarded in the raffle.

563.93(2g)(b) (b) Make a good faith effort to award all of the prizes offered for a raffle. If the organization is unable to award a prize, it may hold the prize and use it for future fund-raising purposes.

563.93(2g)(c) (c) Provide the purchaser of a ticket or calendar with the purchaser’s portion of the ticket or calendar at the time of purchase or at any time before each drawing is held.

563.93(2g)(d) (d) Hold all drawings in public.

563.93(2g)(e) (e) Print an identification number on both the purchaser’s and the organization’s portion of the ticket or calendar. The tickets or calendars shall be numbered consecutively in relation to the other tickets or calendars for the same drawing.

563.93(2g)(f) (f) Refund the drawing receipts to the ticket or calendar purchasers if a drawing is canceled. The organization may not deduct from the refund a handling charge or other amount relating to the expense incurred in the sale of a ticket or calendar. The organization may not reclaim any prize awarded in a drawing that has already been held at the time a calendar raffle is canceled.

563.93(2g)(g) (g) In raffles that involve drawings, as defined in s. 563.03 (5r) (a), place the organization’s portion of the ticket or calendar in the drawing container prior to the time of the drawing.

563.93(2g)(h) (h) Retain the organization’s portion of each ticket or calendar sold for one year after the date on which the drawing is held and provide any of these portions to the department upon request.

563.93(2r) (2r) An organization that conducts a calendar raffle shall do all of the following:

563.93(2r)(a) (a) Print identical drawing dates and identical prize amounts for each drawing on every calendar sold.

563.93(2r)(b) (b) After holding a drawing, replace the winning tickets into the container to allow the purchasers the chance to win again in subsequent drawings.

563.93(3e) (3e) An organization that conducts a raffle under a Class A raffle license may not do any of the following:

563.93(3e)(a) (a) Permit another organization or individual to use its license to conduct a raffle.

563.93(3e)(b) (b) Resell a ticket or calendar.

563.93(3e)(c) (c) Offer tickets for a proposed raffle for sale more than one year before the date of the drawing.

563.93(3e)(d) (d) Require the purchaser of a ticket or calendar to be present at the drawing to win a prize.

563.93(3i) (3i) An organization conducting a raffle under a Class A license may not sell equal shares of a ticket unless all of the following apply:

563.93(3i)(a) (a) The organization does not sell more than 4 equal shares of one ticket.

563.93(3i)(b) (b) The organization does not offer a price discount to the purchaser of more than one share of a ticket.

563.93(3i)(c) (c) Each share of a ticket is identical in form to other shares and includes the organization’s portion and the purchaser’s portion.

563.93(3i)(d) (d) Each purchaser’s portion of a share of a ticket includes all of the information required under subs. (1m) (a), (b), (c), (e), and (f) and (2g) (e).

563.93(3i)(e) (e) Each organization’s portion of a share of a ticket includes the ticket identification number, an identification letter for each share of the ticket, and a place for the purchaser to enter the purchaser’s name and address next to the share identification letter.

563.93(3i)(f) (f) Each prize is in the form of cash or a number of items that is equally divisible by the maximum allowable number of shares of a ticket.

563.93(3i)(g) (g) The organization directly delivers to each holder of a share of a winning ticket his or her share of the prize.

563.93(3i)(h) (h) The organization purchases, prior to the date on which a drawing is held, any unsold shares of tickets of which one or more shares have been sold.

563.93(3m) (3m) An organization that conducts a calendar raffle may not do any of the following:

563.93(3m)(a) (a) Sell any calendars after holding the first drawing.

563.93(3m)(b) (b) Change the dates of any drawings or the amounts of any prizes designated on the calendar after the first calendar is sold.

563.93 History History: 1977 c. 426; 1983 a. 222; 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 147; 1991 a. 269 s. 782nd; Stats. 1991 s. 563.93; 1993 a. 152; 1995 a. 27 ss. 6976m to 6976t, 9123 (6pp); 1997 a. 27; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2007 a. 206; 2009 a. 315; 2013 a. 273, 319; 2015 a. 6.

563.935 563.935 The conduct of raffles under a Class B license. All of the following shall apply to the conduct of a raffle under a Class B license:

563.935(1) (1) All tickets shall be identical in form.

563.935(1m) (1m) The organization conducting the raffle shall prominently display, at each place where tickets may be purchased, a notice describing any state or federal law that imposes an age restriction on who may possess a prize that will be awarded in the raffle.

563.935(2) (2) The tickets need not be numbered consecutively.

563.935(4) (4) No person may sell a ticket unless authorized by an organization with a Class B license.

563.935(5) (5) All drawings shall be held in public.

563.935(6) (6) 

563.935(6)(a) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c), the purchaser of a ticket must be present at the drawing to win a prize.

563.935(6)(b) (b) Any organization conducting a raffle may, according to procedures determined by the organization, allow the purchaser of a ticket not to be present at the drawing to win a prize.

563.935(6)(c) (c) The purchaser of a ticket may give the ticket to another person who may claim the prize on behalf of the purchaser, but only if that other person is present at the drawing.

563.935(7) (7) All prizes shall be awarded.

563.935(8) (8) The date, time, and place of each drawing, the prizes to be awarded, and the prize amount or the methodology used to determine the prize amount shall be posted or announced before each drawing.

563.935(9) (9) If a drawing is canceled, the organization shall refund the receipts to the ticket purchasers.

563.935 History History: 1995 a. 27, 301; 1997 a. 27; 2009 a. 317; 2013 a. 273; 2015 a. 6; 2017 a. 361.

563.94 563.94 Profits. All profits from raffles shall be used by the organization conducting the raffles to further the organization’s purpose for existence and no salaries, fees, or profit shall be paid to any other organization or individual in connection with the operation of a raffle. This section does not prohibit the printing of tickets or calendars or the purchase of equipment or prizes for a raffle.

563.94 History History: 1977 c. 426; 1983 a. 222; 1989 a. 147; 1991 a. 269 s. 782nh; Stats. 1991 s. 563.94; 2015 a. 6.

563.95 563.95 Denial of application; hearing. Within 30 days after receiving written notification of a denial by the department of a license to conduct a raffle, an applicant may demand in writing a hearing before the department upon the applicant’s qualifications and the merit of the application. If, after the hearing, the department enters an order denying the application, the order shall set forth in detail the reasons for the denial. Upon entry of such an order or upon expiration of the 30-day period during which a hearing may be demanded, the applicant’s license fee shall be refunded. If the department approves the application, the department shall issue the license within 14 days after approval.

563.95 History History: 1977 c. 426; 1979 c. 34; 1989 a. 147; 1991 a. 269 s. 782np; Stats. 1991 s. 563.95; 1995 a. 27 s. 9123 (6pp); 1997 a. 27; 2015 a. 6.

563.97 563.97 Records.

563.97(1) (1) Each organization licensed to conduct raffles shall maintain a list of the names and addresses of all persons winning prizes with a fair market value of $600 or more, and the prizes won, for at least 12 months after each raffle is conducted. The list shall be available at reasonable times for public examination and shall be provided to the department upon request.

563.97(2) (2) An organization licensed to conduct raffles shall keep an electronic or paper copy of its license that is available for any person to inspect upon request at the event during which a drawing is held.

563.97 History History: 1983 a. 222; 1991 a. 269 s. 782nt; Stats. 1991 s. 563.97; 1995 a. 27 s. 9123 (6pp); 1997 a. 27; 2015 a. 6.

563.98 563.98 Annual financial reports; renewals.

563.98(1) (1) Each organization licensed under this subchapter shall, on or before the last day of the 12th month beginning after the date on which the license is issued and on or before that same date in each subsequent year, prepare and make available for inspection a report containing the following information in writing regarding the raffles that it has conducted during the previous 12 months:

563.98(1)(a) (a) The number and dates of raffles conducted.

563.98(1)(b) (b) The receipts.

563.98(1)(c) (c) The amount of prizes paid.

563.98(1)(d) (d) The net profit or loss.

563.98(1)(f) (f) For raffles with drawings of the types described in s. 563.03 (5r) (b), an accounting of all sold and unsold tickets for each raffle.

563.98(1e) (1e) The department shall request a copy of a report prepared under sub. (1) only upon the receipt of a complaint regarding the conduct of a raffle.

563.98(1g) (1g) An organization licensed under this subchapter may renew the license by submitting a $25 renewal fee. All moneys received under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (8) (jn).

563.98(2) (2) If the fee specified in sub. (1g) is not paid, the department may refuse to renew a license or may suspend a license until the fee is paid.

563.98 History History: 1977 c. 426; 1979 c. 34 s. 2100 (45) (a); 1983 a. 222; 1989 a. 147; 1991 a. 269 s. 782pd; Stats. 1991 s. 563.98; 1995 a. 27 s. 9123 (6pp); 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 5; 2013 a. 273; 2015 a. 6; 2021 a. 58.