Tavara-arpajaiset: milloin lupaa ei tarvita EN

When do you not need a licence?

Down below is listed the forms of lotteries, when a permit is not needed.

Small lotteries

Small lotteries are non-money lotteries where the combined sale price of the tickets does not exceed EUR 3,000 and where the tickets are sold and the prizes are given out during the same event. The prizes can be drawn either before the event or during the event, but the tickets must be sold and the prizes given out during the same event. Both conditions must be met.

The ‘same event’ means an event which has one and the same audience that remains present throughout the duration of the event. In other words, the same audience must be present both during the sale of tickets and giving out of prizes. For example, events of longer duration or events held in public squares or at supermarket entrances do not meet the condition regarding the same audience.

Non-profit organisations and foundations and clubs or groups run by the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church may run non-money lotteries without licence if the conditions for a small lottery are met. The proceeds from small lotteries must be used for non-profit purposes.

School classes and similar study groups can organise small lotteries as long as a person with legal capacity is in charge of running the lottery. The proceeds from these small lotteries must be used to support the group’s studies or extracurricular activities.

In a small lottery, the combined value of the prizes must amount to at least 35% of the combined sale price of the tickets. The value of the smallest prize must be at least equal to the price of a ticket.

Milloin lupaa ei tarvita -haitari-pienarpajaiset EN

When organising a small lottery, make sure that the draw is carried out in a reliable manner and produce a record of the draw. You must also compile a list of the winning tickets and the prizes. Attach your draw record to this list.

If you sell tickets for the small lottery to people who don’t belong to the organisation running the lottery, you must produce accounts of the lottery without delay after the event. Attach the draw record to the accounts with the other supporting documents.

Keep the accounts of a small lottery available for public viewing for two weeks after the completion of the accounts. You do not need to submit the accounts to an authority, but you must keep them for one year after the running of the lottery.

Arvauskilpailuilmoitukset EN

Guessing game notice

Guessing games are a form of non-money lottery in which the chance of winning is based on a guess concerning the subject of the game. Prizes can be goods or gift cards or vouchers that can be exchanged for goods or services. The cards or vouchers must not be exchangeable for money.

The subject of a guessing game must be a phenomenon or a state of affairs that can be defined precisely and within exact limits in advance. Typical subjects include the outdoor temperature on a specific day in a specific place, the date on which a specific water body will become free of ice in the spring or the volume of a specific material in a specific container.

The subjects of a guessing game may not include the results of sports contests or other competitions or the outcome of a draw. The correct answer in a guessing game cannot be known to anyone while the tickets are sold.

You must draw up rules for guessing games, specifying how the winner or winners will be decided. The winner is usually the person who guesses correctly. The rules must specify how the winner will be determined if more than one person guesses correctly. For example, all those who have guessed correctly may be entered into a draw. The rules must also specify how the winner or winners will be decided if no one guesses correctly.

The more prizes there are, the more complicated the rules will be. The rules must always be clear enough for participants to understand how the winners are decided. You may not hold a prize draw among all guessing game participants because winning must be based on the participants’ guesses.

Guessing games can be organised by non-profit organisations and foundations and clubs or groups run by the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church. Businesses, parishes or individuals cannot organise guessing games. The proceeds from a guessing game must be used for non-profit activities.

Ohjeet arvauskilpailun järjestäjälle -haitari

If you intend to organise a guessing game, notify either the police department or the National Police Board in writing. You must give notice at least 5 days before the guessing game is due to begin. The licensing authority can prohibit the running of a guessing game if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the game is in breach of the provisions on guessing games.

If you are running the guessing game within a single police district, notify the local police department. If you are running the guessing game across several police districts, you must notify the National Police Board.

Attach the following supporting documents to your notice:

Proof of a decision concerning the running of a guessing game. This refers to an extract from the minutes of the meeting in which the running of the guessing game was decided.
Copy of the rules of the organisation or foundation.
Extract from the Finnish Register of Associations, Register of Foundations or Trade Register / extract from a register maintained by an association governed by public law. The extract may not be more than 3 months old, calculated from the date of the notice.

You may run a guessing game for a maximum period of 6 months.

In a guessing game, the combined value of the prizes must amount to at least 35% of the combined sale price of the tickets. The value of the smallest prize must be at least equal to the price of a ticket.

Determine the winners of a guessing game in a reliable manner and provide a record of how you did it. Compile a list of the winning tickets and the prizes and attach your record to this list.

Produce the accounts of the guessing game after the game has ended. If you have previously run guessing games and failed to produce these accounts, you will not be allowed to run another guessing game.

Lottery tax is payable on the proceeds of guessing games. You may not be allowed to run another guessing game if you have previously neglected to pay the tax. More information on the lottery tax and its payment is available from the Tax Administration.

A fee is charged for submitting a guessing game notice. Information on prices can be found here. (Note that the police departments and the National Police Board charge different fees. Please check that you are looking at the correct authority’s price list.)

Markkinointiarpajaiset

Promotional lotteries

Promotional lotteries are prize draws, contests and similar activities organised by businesses where participants can win based on chance. Companies run promotional lotteries for the purpose of promoting their sales or for other marketing purposes.

A lottery licence is not granted for running a promotional lottery, as these are not covered by the scope of the Lotteries Act. Promotional lotteries can be run on the basis that participants must buy a product or make a purchase offer to enter.

A promotional lottery may also be completely free of charge, in which case participants do not need to buy a product or make an offer. You may not have any other kinds of charges for participation. For example, you may not add the price of the lottery ticket to the price of a product so that only those who pay the additional charge are entered into the draw.

Provisions on promotional lotteries are given in consumer protection regulations. More information on promotional lotteries is available from the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

Miniatyyriarpajaiset EN

Mini-lotteries

Mini-lotteries are non-money lotteries where the combined value of the tickets does not exceed EUR 500 and where the tickets are sold and the prizes are given out during the same event. Both conditions must be met.

Workplace communities and established leisure activity groups can run non-money lotteries without a licence as long as these fall into the category of mini-lotteries. All proceeds from mini-lotteries must be used for the recreational activities of the workplace community or leisure activity group or to promote a non-profit cause.

You may only sell mini-lottery tickets to the members of your workplace community or the leisure activity group that is running the lottery.

In a mini-lottery, the combined value of the prizes must amount to at least 35% of the combined sale price of the tickets. The value of the smallest prize must be at least equal to the price of a ticket.

When organising a mini-lottery, make sure that the draw is carried out in a reliable manner. You don’t need to produce accounts for a mini-lottery.