A 50/50 raffle is a fundraiser where the prize is cash: half of the total ticket sales goes to one winner, and the other half goes to your cause. There is nothing to source, nothing to store and nothing to post to a winner, which makes it one of the fastest fundraisers any organisation can launch.
This guide explains how 50/50 draws work, why they raise so much for so little effort, the legal checks to make before selling a ticket, and how to run one online from start to finish.
How a 50/50 raffle works
The mechanics could not be simpler:
- Supporters buy raffle tickets, usually at a low price point.
- Every ticket sold grows the jackpot.
- At the close, one winning ticket is drawn at random. The winner receives half the pot; your cause keeps the rest.
A quick worked example: sell 400 tickets at 5 each and the pot reaches 2,000. The winner walks away with 1,000 and your cause banks 1,000, from a fundraiser that took minutes to set up and needed no prize at all.
The name describes the default split, but it is not a rule. Many organisers run 60/40 or 70/30 in favour of the cause, and on GalaBid the split is adjustable to whatever you choose. Whatever split you pick, state it clearly on the campaign page before tickets go on sale. Supporters should never have to guess where their money goes.
Why 50/50 draws work so well
Zero prize sourcing. Most raffles live or die on the quality of the donated prize, and securing a good one takes weeks of asking. A 50/50 removes that job entirely. The prize funds itself.
The jackpot is its own marketing. A growing cash total is a story you can post every day. "The pot just passed its first milestone" is a better promotional hook than any static prize photo, and each update gives fence-sitters a fresh reason to buy.
Cash has universal appeal. A holiday or a signed jersey appeals to part of your audience. Everyone can picture what they would do with a cash win, which is why 50/50 draws convert casual supporters who would scroll past a conventional raffle.
It scales with your crowd. Because the prize grows with ticket sales, a 50/50 works at any size, from a school fair to a stadium. That flexibility is why it is a fixture at sports club fundraisers across the US and Canada, where the halftime 50/50 is practically a tradition.
The honest trade-off: your cause keeps only its share of the pot, so a 50/50 needs volume to beat a donated-prize raffle where every ticket dollar is retained. If you already have access to a strong donated prize, a single-prize raffle may raise more. If you do not, the 50/50 is the better use of your time.
Check the rules first
This is the most important section of this guide. Cash-prize raffles are regulated more tightly than merchandise raffles almost everywhere, and the rules vary by country and often by state or province. Depending on your region, you may need a licence or permit before selling a single ticket, there may be caps on ticket prices or total prize value, online ticket sales may be restricted to buyers within your region, and some jurisdictions do not permit cash raffle prizes at all.
None of this should put you off. Thousands of organisations run compliant 50/50 draws every week. It just means the sequence matters: confirm your local requirements, secure any permit, then launch. The permit holder is normally the fundraising organisation itself, not the software platform, so build application time into your campaign schedule.
How to run a 50/50 raffle online
1. Confirm compliance and set your split. Permit secured, split decided, both stated plainly on your campaign page.
2. Set up your digital raffle. An online raffle platform replaces paper tickets with a link supporters open on their phones. Buyers receive their ticket numbers instantly, payments are processed by card, and the draw runs automatically at close, which removes any question about fairness.
3. Price for volume. 50/50 draws are a volume game, so keep the entry price low and offer bundles. A small discount for five or ten tickets lifts average order value more reliably than any other tactic.
4. Promote the growing jackpot. Post the running total at regular intervals across social media, email and your community groups. Momentum builds momentum. The bigger the pot gets, the easier it becomes to sell the next ticket.
5. Close with urgency, draw with transparency. A hard deadline concentrates last-minute sales. When the draw runs, announce the winner and, just as importantly, announce what your share will fund. That final message is next year's marketing.
6. Give non-players a way in. Some supporters would rather give than gamble. A donation button alongside the raffle captures them, and every dollar of it stays with your cause.
Who should run one
50/50 draws suit any organisation with a reachable crowd and limited volunteer time: sports clubs at game days, schools at fairs and carnivals, workplaces, community groups and solo fundraisers. If your fundraising bottleneck is time rather than audience, this is the format built for you.
Frequently asked questions
What does 50/50 raffle mean?It means the ticket revenue is split in half: 50% to one winning ticket holder as a cash prize, and 50% to the fundraising cause. The split can be adjusted, but the winner-takes-half format is the classic version.
Are 50/50 raffles legal?In many regions, yes, usually with a permit or licence, though some jurisdictions restrict or prohibit cash-prize raffles. Requirements vary by country, state and province, so always check your local raffle and lottery rules before selling tickets.
How is the winner chosen?Each ticket has a unique number, and one is drawn at random when the raffle closes. Online platforms generate the draw automatically, which gives buyers confidence the result is genuinely random.
Can I use a different split, like 60/40?Usually, yes, subject to your local rules. Splits weighted toward the cause are common. Whatever you choose, publish it clearly before ticket sales open.
How much can a 50/50 raffle raise?It depends entirely on ticket volume, which is the point: the format scales from small community draws to stadium jackpots worth tens of thousands. As a rule of thumb, the larger and more engaged your audience, the more a 50/50 outperforms a fixed-prize raffle.
Ready to run your 50/50 draw?
GalaBid's digital raffle tools handle ticket sales, payments, live jackpot display and the automatic draw, so your only job is spreading the word. Set up your campaign in minutes at galabid.com/raffle.