A raffle is one of the simplest, most reliable ways to raise money, and one of the most annoying to run on paper. Rolls of tickets, a shoebox of stubs, volunteers making change all night, and a drawing where you hope the matching half actually turns up. Raffle software clears all of that away. It sells digital tickets online and on-site, tracks every entry automatically, runs a fair drawing at the push of a button, and hands you clean records afterward. This guide covers what raffle software does, the features that matter, the compliance basics you cannot skip, and how a raffle fits alongside the rest of your fundraiser.

What Raffle Software Does

Raffle software replaces paper tickets and manual tallying with a digital system. Supporters buy raffle entries online or at your event, each entry is recorded automatically with the buyer's details, and when it is time to draw, the software selects winners at random and notifies them. No physical rolls, no counting stubs, no arithmetic at the table.

The practical wins are big. You can sell to people who are not even in the room, which expands your reach far beyond a single event. Your volunteers stop making change and start focusing on the guests. And the drawing is provably fair and instant, with a full record of every entry and every winner. If you are still choosing which format will raise the most for your cause, our roundup of fundraising event ideas shows where a raffle fits best.

The Features That Matter

When you compare raffle tools, focus on the features that affect how much you raise and how little your team has to sweat.

Digital ticket sales

• Online and on-site sales. Sell entries through a link before the event and in person on the day, all feeding one tally.
• Bundle pricing. Offer packages, one ticket for a price, or a discounted bundle of several, since bundles reliably lift the average sale.
• Tap-to-pay on-site. Take cards at the event so no one is limited by the cash in their pocket.

The drawing

• Provably random selection. The software draws winners fairly and transparently, which protects your credibility.
• Instant winner notification. Winners are alerted automatically by text or email, even if they are not present.
• Multiple prizes and tiers. Run several prizes or a grand prize from the same entry pool without manual sorting.

Reporting and records

• Real-time sales tracking so you can watch the total climb and push toward your goal.
• Complete entry and buyer records for reconciliation and receipts.
• Exportable data you own and can use for stewardship afterward.

Compliance Basics You Cannot Skip

Raffles are a form of gambling in the eyes of the law, which means they are regulated, and the rules vary widely by state and locality. This is not the part to wing.

• Rules differ by state. Many states require nonprofits to register or obtain a license before selling raffle tickets, and some restrict who may run one at all.
• Watch online sales limits. Some jurisdictions restrict or prohibit selling raffle tickets across state lines or online, so confirm what is allowed where your buyers are.
• Keep clean records. Regulators may require you to document ticket sales, the prize value, and the drawing. Good software gives you this automatically.

Always check your state and local rules, or ask your legal counsel, before you sell a single ticket. Software makes the record-keeping easy, but the responsibility to run a compliant raffle is yours. Treat this as a genuine step, not a formality.

How a Raffle Fits Your Larger Fundraiser

A raffle rarely stands alone. It usually runs alongside a gala, an auction, a dinner, or a concert, which is exactly why it should not live on its own disconnected tool. When the same person buys a ticket, checks in, and enters the raffle on separate systems, you end up with three fragments of one supporter and a reconciliation headache at the end of the night.

It is far cleaner when the raffle shares a platform, and a single guest record, with your ticketing and check-in. One profile per supporter means you see everything they gave, entry fees, ticket, donations, in one place, and you can steward them all year instead of stitching spreadsheets together. See how a non-profit ticketing platform and a fast event check-in app work better as one system than as several.

What to Look For When Comparing Options

• Total cost. Watch for tools that take a percentage of your raffle revenue on top of card fees. For a fundraiser, money skimmed off the top is money that should reach the cause.
• Compliance support. Favor software that keeps the records regulators expect and makes reporting easy.
• Ease for buyers and volunteers. If buying an entry or selling one is confusing, participation drops. Test both sides.
• Data ownership. Confirm the buyer and donor data is yours to keep and use.
• Payout speed. How fast do the funds actually reach your account after the drawing?

How Seatfun Helps You Run a Raffle

Seatfun keeps your raffle in the same place as the rest of your fundraiser, tickets, donations, and check-in, on one platform with one guest record, so you are not reconciling three tools at the end of the night. Sell entries online ahead of time and on-site with tap-to-pay, run fast, offline check-in from a phone, and track every entry and buyer automatically with real-time reporting. Because we design custom fee structures with you instead of skimming rigid markups off your revenue, more of every dollar stays with your mission, and next-day payouts get funds working fast. You own your buyer and donor data for stewardship all year, and unlimited built-in SMS and email marketing lets you promote entries and notify winners without per-message fees. It rests on one idea: we are a partner, not a platform. See the full toolset in our guide to event ticketing software.

Bottom Line

Raffle software turns a paper-and-shoebox chore into a smooth revenue driver: digital tickets sell online and on-site, entries track themselves, the drawing is provably fair and instant, and the records come out clean. When you compare tools, weigh the total cost, compliance support, ease for buyers and volunteers, data ownership, and payout speed, and always confirm your state and local rules before selling. Favor a platform where the raffle shares one guest record with your ticketing and check-in, because one system beats several, for your team and for your cause.

Request an invite to Seatfun and run your raffle, tickets, donations, and check-in on one platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is raffle software? Raffle software replaces paper tickets and manual tallying with a digital system. Supporters buy entries online or on-site, each is recorded automatically with the buyer's details, and the software draws winners at random and notifies them. It expands your reach beyond the room, frees volunteers from making change, and gives you a fair, instant drawing with clean records.

Is it legal to run an online raffle? It depends on where you are. Raffles are regulated as a form of gambling, and rules vary widely by state and locality, many require nonprofits to register or obtain a license first, and some restrict or prohibit selling tickets online or across state lines. Always confirm your state and local rules, or check with legal counsel, before selling a single ticket.

How does the raffle drawing work in software? When sales close, the software selects winners at random from the pool of recorded entries and notifies them automatically by text or email, even if they are not present. It can handle multiple prizes or a grand prize from the same pool, and it keeps a full record of every entry and winner, so the drawing is both provably fair and instant.

Should raffle software connect to my event ticketing? Ideally yes. A raffle usually runs alongside a gala, auction, or dinner, so keeping it on a separate tool leaves you with fragments of each supporter across multiple systems and a reconciliation headache. When the raffle shares one platform and one guest record with ticketing and check-in, you see everything a supporter gave in one place and can steward them all year.