General information, not legal advice. Raffle rules are set by each state; check with your state's charitable gaming regulator. Facebook rules checked against Meta's Pages, groups and events policies, Community Payments Terms (updated July 30, 2026) and Advertising Standards on online gambling and games on November 8, 2026.
How to do a raffle on Facebook without breaking the rules: use Facebook to announce the raffle and stream the drawing, but sell the tickets somewhere else, in a way your state allows. Meta's policies list raffles as gambling, require Meta's prior written permission to promote online gambling on a Page, group or event, and bar raffle payments through Messenger. A Facebook fundraiser can't sell tickets either.
Quick answer
Can you do a raffle on Facebook?
You can announce a legal raffle and stream its drawing on your Page, but don't sell entries through Facebook. Meta treats paid-entry raffles as gambling, needs its permission before a Page, group or event promotes online gambling, and bans raffle payments in Messenger. Sell tickets in person or by a method your state allows.
What Meta's rules say about raffles
Three Meta documents matter here. None mentions charities or gives nonprofits an exception, so assume the rules apply to your PTO, church or charity like anyone else.
| Meta policy | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Pages, groups and events: gambling | Lists raffles as gambling; promoting online gambling on a Page, group or event needs Meta's prior written permission | Don't sell or take entries for a paid raffle on Facebook |
| Pages, groups and events: promotions | Free contests and giveaways must follow the law, release Meta, say Meta isn't involved, and not require sharing or tagging | A free giveaway is possible with the right wording |
| Community Payments Terms | Messenger person-to-person payments can't be used for raffles; donors receive no goods or services in return | No ticket payments by Messenger; a fundraiser donation can't buy an entry |
| Advertising Standards | Ads promoting online gambling, raffles included, need Meta authorization | Don't boost a raffle post without approval |
The gambling rule in Meta's Pages, groups and events policies covers games where anything of monetary value is required to play and forms part of the prize. A raffle with paid tickets fits that exactly. The rule speaks of promoting "online gambling," so a post about a raffle sold only on paper is a grayer area, but Meta doesn't spell out an exception.
Raffle or giveaway: which one are you running?
The word "raffle" gets used for two very different things on Facebook. The difference decides which rules apply.
| Feature | Raffle | Free giveaway |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Buy a ticket | Free (comment, message or form) |
| State law | Regulated as gambling; license or permit often needed | Promotion rules; far lighter |
| Meta's view | Gambling | Promotion |
| Raises money? | Yes, from ticket sales | Only indirectly (attention, sign-ups) |
If a donation earns an entry ("give $10 to our fundraiser and you're in the drawing"), it's a raffle, not a giveaway: people are paying for a chance to win. Many states also regulate free drawings run as promotions, so ask your regulator before launching either.
How to do a raffle on Facebook, step by step
- Confirm the raffle is legal in your state, including whether you need a permit and whether tickets may be sold online. Some states don't allow online or phone ticket sales at all; our guides on whether a PTO can do a raffle and whether a church can do a raffle explain how to check.
- Sell tickets off Facebook. Use paper tickets at events, the school office or church hall, or an online method your state and your payment provider allow. Don't take payment in comments, Messenger or a Facebook fundraiser.
- Print the rules where tickets are sold: prizes, price, drawing date and any permit number. Our list of what to put on a raffle ticket covers the usual items.
- Post from your organization's Page, group or event, not a volunteer's profile.
- Don't make sharing a condition. Ask supporters to share if they like, but never give extra chances for shares or tags.
- Don't boost the post unless Meta has authorized your ad account for gambling ads.
- Stream the drawing live and post the winning numbers afterward.
Template: Facebook raffle announcement post
Our [event or cause] raffle is on! Prizes: [Prize 1], [Prize 2] and [Prize 3], all donated by local businesses.
Tickets are $[price] each or [bundle] for $[price], sold at [places, dates and times]. Tickets are not sold on Facebook or through Messenger.
The drawing is [date] at [time], live on this Page. You don't need to be present to win.
Proceeds support [specific purpose]. [Permit number, if your state requires it on ads.] Full rules: [where to find them].
Questions? Call [name, phone] or email [address].
Keep comments on topic, and answer "can I pay you on here?" with the places tickets are sold.
Live raffle drawing on Facebook
A live drawing is the most useful thing Facebook adds to a raffle: buyers at home can watch it happen. Meta's policies we checked don't address live drawings specifically, so treat the video like any Page post and follow your state's drawing rules.
- Test the stream a day before, from the same room.
- Use a tripod and frame the drum or bowl and the drawer's hands in one shot.
- Show the full container and say how many tickets were sold before the first draw.
- Read each number twice, slowly, and hold the stub up to the camera.
- Save the video and leave it on the Page until all prizes are claimed.
The drawing itself works the same as in a hall; our guide on how to do a raffle drawing covers mixing, witnesses and the drawing record. Keep that record with the saved video.
Facebook fundraiser raffle: why it doesn't work
Meta's Community Payments Terms say that when you donate, you acknowledge it's a charitable contribution and that you aren't receiving any goods or services in return. A ticket is something in return, so a fundraiser can't double as a ticket sale. The same terms bar using Messenger person-to-person payments for raffles.
You can still run both side by side: a Facebook fundraiser for straight donations, with no entries attached, and a separate raffle sold in person. A 50/50 is still a raffle, so the same rules apply; see how to run a 50/50 raffle.
Next step
With sales off Facebook and the drawing on it, your posts become your best sales tool. Our guide on how to sell more raffle tickets has posting ideas that stay within these rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a giveaway on Facebook instead of a raffle?
Yes, if entry is free. Meta's promotion rules require you to follow the law, have entrants release Meta, say Meta doesn't sponsor or run it, and not require shares or tags to enter. A free giveaway raises little money directly, but it can grow your Page before a raffle.
Can I take raffle payments through Messenger?
No. Meta's Community Payments Terms list raffles among the things person-to-person payments in Messenger can't be used for, alongside gambling and lotteries. Use paper sales or a payment method your state allows for raffles, and check that provider's own rules on games of chance too.
Can you boost a raffle post on Facebook?
Not without approval. Meta's Advertising Standards list raffles as online gambling, and ads promoting it need Meta authorization for the ad account, requested through Meta Business Suite. Unpaid posts on your own Page that announce where tickets are sold, without selling entries, are the safer route.
Can a Facebook group run a raffle?
Meta's gambling rule covers groups as well as Pages and events, so a group selling numbered spots for a prize is promoting gambling. Groups where members pay by app for raffle spots also run into state raffle laws, which usually limit raffles to qualified nonprofits, often with a permit.
Do I need to say the raffle isn't sponsored by Facebook?
For a promotion such as a free giveaway, yes: Meta requires entrants to acknowledge it isn't sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Meta, and to release Meta from liability. Adding that line to a paid raffle post does no harm, but it doesn't make selling entries on Facebook acceptable.