Answers for ticket purchasers and nonprofit admins. Still have questions? Contact us.
Yes. New York State requires anyone purchasing a raffle ticket — online or in person — to be 18 years of age or older at the time of purchase. Any winner will be required to show valid proof of age before claiming a prize.
Yes. You must be physically located within New York State at the time of purchase. The RFFL platform verifies your location through geolocation at checkout. Location access must be enabled in your browser for this to work — if you see a prompt asking to share your location, tap Allow.
If you weren't prompted or need to enable it manually: in Chrome, tap the lock icon in the address bar and set Location to Allow. In Safari on iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Location and select While Using.
New York State gaming regulations require that anyone purchasing a raffle ticket online create a user account. This process completes your required age verification, assigns you a permanent account number, and gives you access to your ticket history and past purchases.
No. An account is not required for in-person ticket purchases. You'll provide your name, address, and phone number at the point of sale, and your ticket numbers and receipt will be sent to you by text.
When a charity sets up a raffle, they connect their bank account directly to the RFFL platform through Stripe, our payment processor. Your payment goes directly from you to the charity. RFFL never holds or handles your funds.
Anyone under 18 will not be permitted to create a user account on the RFFL platform. If others — including minors — have access to your device, we recommend setting up parental controls to prevent unauthorized access to your account. See our guide to setting up parental controls.
If you believe someone under 18 has created an account, please contact us at support@rffl.co.
There are two primary reasons an account may be denied. First, you may not meet the minimum age requirement of 18. Second, your name may appear on the NY State Gaming Commission's voluntary self-exclusion list, maintained pursuant to 9 NYCRR Section 5403.2.
If you believe you are being excluded in error, please contact us at support@rffl.co.
To deactivate and delete your account, contact us at support@rffl.co. Please note that your ticket numbers and purchase history will be permanently removed.
New York State does not set a maximum on the number of tickets an individual may purchase. Individual charities may choose to set their own per-purchaser limits for a given raffle — check the raffle listing for any limits that apply.
No. Raffle ticket purchases are not recognized as tax-deductible contributions.
The RFFL platform accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Yes. RFFL uses Stripe for payment processing, which maintains PCI DSS Level 1 compliance — the highest security certification available for payment processors. RFFL never stores your card information.
All ticket purchases are final and nonrefundable. In the event a raffle is cancelled, refund decisions are made solely by the charity running the raffle — contact them directly with any questions about a specific event.
Ticket numbers are generated automatically by the RFFL platform at the time of purchase. You'll receive a receipt by email and can view your tickets at any time through your RFFL account.
Contact the charity that ran the raffle directly. Their contact information is available within your RFFL account. RFFL does not conduct drawings or notify winners — that is handled entirely by the charity.
No. New York State law requires that all raffle ticket holders be eligible to win without being present at the drawing, and this must be stated on the ticket itself, in the raffle rules, and in any posted notices. You do not need to attend the drawing to claim a prize.
Winning numbers are generally posted on the charity's website after the drawing. You can also check your RFFL account dashboard to see whether your ticket numbers matched.
Raffle winnings are generally treated as ordinary income and should be reported for both federal and New York State income tax purposes. We recommend consulting a tax professional with any specific questions.
Free, confidential help is available. Call the HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 or text 467369.
You can also find local resources near you or learn about New York's Statewide Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program.
You can create your organization's account at app.rffl.co. A license key is required to activate your account — email sales@rffl.co to request one. Once you have your key, registration is self-serve.
You'll also need a GOCID (Game of Chance ID) from the NY State Gaming Commission before you can launch your first raffle. You don't need it to create your account — you can add it to your profile once you have it.
RFFL currently serves nonprofits in Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, Oswego, and Madison counties. We are actively expanding coverage across New York State and will be adding additional counties soon.
Want to know when we're available in your area? Email us to get notified.
All plans and pricing are available on our pricing page. Every plan includes access to Reggie, our AI compliance assistant. Questions about which plan is right for your organization? Email sales@rffl.co.
New York State law requires organizations conducting charitable gaming to check participants against the state's voluntary self-exclusion list. You can obtain the official list from the NY State Gaming Commission at gaming.ny.gov.
RFFL provides a downloadable import template to make this straightforward. Download it from your account dashboard, match your data to the template columns, and upload. Manual entry is also available. Questions? Contact support@rffl.co.
Reggie is RFFL's AI compliance assistant, available at chat.rffl.co. He's built to answer questions about NY charitable gaming regulations in plain English — from raffle rules and reporting requirements to licensing and recordkeeping. Reggie is included with every RFFL subscription plan. You can also use Reggie for free before signing up.
No. RFFL does not conduct drawings or contact winners. The physical drawing is conducted by your organization using a ticket tumbler. Notifying winners is entirely your responsibility. RFFL provides a printable ticket export for use at your drawing.
A GOCID (Game of Chance Identification Number) is issued by the NY State Gaming Commission. To apply, submit Forms GC-2, GC-2A, and GC-2B along with the $25 annual fee to the NYSGC Division of Charitable Gaming, P.O. Box 7500, Schenectady, NY 12301-7500. Processing typically takes 6–8 weeks.
A GOCID is only required if your anticipated net raffle proceeds are $5,000 or more — organizations expecting less than that threshold do not need to register. All forms are available at gaming.ny.gov. Questions? Ask Reggie.
After each raffle, you must file a Verified Statement (Form GCVS-1) with both the NY State Gaming Commission and your local town or city clerk. A second filing (Form GCVS-2) is due by January 30 of the following year reporting your actual net proceeds.
If you sold tickets or conducted the drawing outside the municipality where you filed, you may also need a Raffle Consent Form (GC-RCF). All forms are available at gaming.ny.gov/charitable-gaming-forms. For specifics about your situation, ask Reggie.
Yes. Your RFFL account supports multiple active raffles running simultaneously. Each raffle requires its own approval, ticket series, rules, and prize structure, and must independently meet all NYSGC requirements. Questions about managing multiple raffles? Email support@rffl.co.
New York State limits ticket sales to no more than 180 days before the scheduled drawing date. No tickets may be sold after the drawing has occurred. Your organization sets the start date, drawing date, and duration when creating a raffle — within those limits.