A community fundraiser needs a room where guests can hear the draw, see the prizes and move past ticket tables. The organiser must separately settle the raffle, prize and money-handling requirements. Hiring a room does not transfer those responsibilities to the venue.
Altona Sports Club’s Waterfront Room offers an exclusive function space beside Port Phillip Bay, with a covered deck. Its published functions information describes space for dancing and a band or DJ. For a fundraising night, plan where guests will sit, see the prizes and hear the draw or presentation. An auction also needs a clear view of bidders.
Start with the activity and running order, then discuss the room setup. A microphone listed on a venue page does not establish who operates it, and an available room does not establish that a proposed liquor prize is permitted.
Reviewed 20 October 2026. The regulatory information below is general; circumstances can differ. Confirm your obligations with the relevant regulator and agree on the venue arrangements for your event.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) requires raffle proceeds to benefit a declared community or charitable organisation. Check whether the benefiting group is already declared. A new declaration application must be lodged at least 28 days before the gaming activity; that is not a guaranteed approval time.
VGCCC’s current permit threshold is based on total prize value, not ticket income. Smaller raffles still have conditions:
| Raffle category | Main distinction | Planning consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Small raffle | Prizes no more than $500; combined prizes for this and other same-organisation raffles no more than $1,000 | The combined limit covers the same day or eight-hour period. First sale and draw also have a same-day or eight-hour test. Check all conditions. |
| Other raffle up to $23,060 | A permit may not be needed if the conditions are met | Check the category’s ticket, sales-period, draw and record requirements. |
| Prizes exceeding $23,060 | A raffle permit is required | Allow for the application and follow its conditions. |
Use the regulator’s current raffle rules before printing tickets or setting the draw date. They explain the category conditions in full, including ticket values, selling arrangements and records. Read them alongside the current Gambling Regulations 2026.
Check which approvals are needed before advertising the event date. Agree booking arrangements with the functions team separately.
For a licensed venue, VGCCC’s guidance turns on authority to supply liquor for consumption off the premises. Permission to serve drinks during a function does not establish permission to send a liquor prize home.
Confirm the proposed prize with the venue before advertising it or accepting a donated hamper. The raffle must benefit the declared organisation and must not be conducted for the venue’s profit. Other legal conditions also apply. This article does not state what Altona Sports Club’s particular licence permits; check the proposal before treating it as agreed.
Cash prizes are generally prohibited. VGCCC allows a limited travel-associated exception, capped at 10 per cent of total prize value. Debit cards are prohibited; sufficiently restricted store gift cards can be allowed. Liquor must not be supplied to a minor.
The venue discussion and the organiser’s raffle checks are separate. A donated prize does not bypass either, and approval of the room setup is not approval of the prize list.
Plan the Waterfront Room around what guests need to follow. A raffle draw needs audible announcements and a clear view. An auction also needs sightlines between bidders and the person taking bids. Allow for a presentation or thank-you speech without assuming the same arrangement will suit every activity.
Walk the route from arrival to the ticket and prize tables. A queue should not obstruct the entrance or access routes. Place prizes where guests can inspect them without blocking movement. Think about when ticket selling ends and where the draw will happen, so guests do not have to move through a queue to follow it.
Test announcements from the seats furthest from the microphone. Agree who introduces the draw, who operates the sound and how the organiser will signal that the room needs to listen. These are planning decisions, not services assumed to be included in a room booking.
For an auction, check whether another queue or activity would interrupt the view of raised hands. The broader issue of how a room layout changes guest movement is covered separately. Keep this walkthrough focused on the draw, prize display and any bidding planned for your event.
The Club’s published venue FAQ lists sound systems, microphones, lighting and staging, and wheelchair access to the main function areas. Discuss which equipment and configuration would be available for your booking, who would operate it and any extra arrangements. Published facilities do not guarantee that every access need or event format can be accommodated.
The covered deck is another published feature to discuss when planning guest movement. Do not assume an announcement will reach guests outside or that the deck is suitable for every part of the programme. Work through the proposed use with the functions team.
VGCCC requires raffle proceeds to go directly to the declared organisation. Follow its banking requirements for the organisation’s approved account; do not use a committee member’s personal account. Check the records required for the raffle category, including funds and prize distribution.
Separately agree on the practical handling of money on the night:
Confirm which tasks the organiser owns and which the venue has agreed to perform. A room booking does not establish that any of these services are included. Decide how sales and prizes will be checked before the event, rather than leaving an unassigned job until guests are departing.
The no-permit conditions prohibit paying ticket sellers. Paid commercial raffle organisers have separate licensing and permit requirements. Paying a third party is a regulated arrangement, not an incidental venue service.
Check Liquor Control Victoria’s under-18 guidance for the lawful entry arrangements that apply to the proposed event. Entry with a responsible adult has conditions and exceptions. Not every accompanying adult qualifies, and the guidance is not blanket permission for any function. Discuss the guest ages and format with the venue. Alcohol must not be supplied to minors.
The existing article on planning an event with guests under 18 covers that separate subject in more detail. Keep the fundraiser discussion focused on how the guest group affects arrivals, supervision and the proposed prize arrangements, rather than assuming the room booking settles those matters.
Before choosing a date, check declaration status and any required raffle or event approval. Allow for each application separately. A lodgement deadline is not an approval promise, and a preferred date is not confirmed availability.
Bring the proposed prize list and running order when you discuss the Waterfront Room. Confirm any liquor-prize authority and the setup for ticket sales, prizes, announcements and bidding. The functions team can discuss the room; the organiser remains responsible for checking the raffle requirements with the regulator.
Altona Sports Club publishes more than 100 free on-site car spaces. This can help with arrival planning, but does not reserve a space for every guest. Use the functions enquiry route, call 03 9398 2283 or email functions@altonasportsclub.com.au to discuss the event. An enquiry does not confirm availability or book the room.
The $500 prize limit is only one condition. The same-organisation combined limit and timing tests also matter. Check all the conditions before relying on the small-raffle category.
Generally no. The regulator permits a limited cash component for a travel-associated prize, capped at 10 per cent of total prize value. That exception does not permit an ordinary cash raffle or a debit-card prize.
Use the declared organisation’s approved account and arrange a clear reconciliation of receipts and prizes. A personal account is not a substitute for the organisation’s required banking arrangements.
Not under the no-permit raffle conditions. Do not assume a payment becomes lawful because the organiser calls it a thank-you. Paid commercial raffle organisers need the relevant licence and permits.
