Terms of service
Last updated 8 September 2026
These terms apply when you use SmoothRaffle. By creating an account or entering a raffle, you agree to them.
What SmoothRaffle is
SmoothRaffle is software that helps organizers run basket raffles at in-person fundraising events. We provide the platform. The organizer runs the event, supplies the prizes, and is responsible for the raffle itself.
Fundraising, charity and benefit events only
SmoothRaffle may only be used to run raffles for a fundraising, charity or benefit purpose. That means the proceeds go to a charity, a non-profit, a school, a church, a fire company, a sports club or community group, or a benefit for a named person or family the event is raising money for - medical bills, a funeral, a house fire, and the like. Every organizer confirms this when they create an event, that confirmation is recorded against the event, and an event cannot be taken live without it.
You may not use SmoothRaffle to run a raffle, lottery, sweepstake or draw for private profit, as a commercial game of chance, or as any arrangement where an entry fee is collected chiefly to enrich the person running it. That is not a house rule we invented - our payment processor permits charitable fundraising raffles and prohibits games of chance outright, so an event without a fundraising, charity or benefit purpose is one we are not able to process payments for at all.
If we believe an event is not being run for a fundraising, charity or benefit purpose, we may decline to process payments for it, close it, or remove it. Money already collected sits with the organizer's own payment account, not with us, so any refunds in that situation are between the organizer and the ticket buyers.
Who may use it
You must be 18 or older to buy tickets or enter a raffle. You are responsible for making sure your participation is lawful where you are. Organizers are responsible for complying with the raffle, gaming and charitable-solicitation laws that apply to their event. Raffles are regulated differently in every state, and some require a license or registration before a ticket is sold - checking that is the organizer's job, not ours.
Your account
You sign in with your Google account - there is no password to remember, and none for us to lose. Keep that Google account secure, because anyone who can use it can sign in as you. Give us accurate details; if your phone number or email is wrong, we cannot tell you that you have won.
Tickets and payment
Ticket prices are set by the organizer. Card payments are processed by Stripe; we never receive your card number. A ticket is an entry into a draw, not a purchase of goods, and buying more tickets improves your odds but guarantees nothing.
Who your money goes to. Ticket money is paid directly into the organizer's own Stripe account. It does not pass through SmoothRaffle, and we take no share of it - the organizer pays us a one-time fee to host the event, and that is the whole of what we charge. So the organizer, not SmoothRaffle, holds the proceeds of the raffle you are entering.
Refunds. Tickets are generally non-refundable once a draw has taken place. Before the draw, refunds are at the organizer's discretion - contact them, not us. Because the money is theirs, a refund is issued by the organizer from their own Stripe account; we cannot issue one for them.
Draws and prizes
Draws are made at random from the entries recorded for each basket. The organizer decides when a draw happens. We will notify you if you win, by the channels you have enabled, and record that we did so.
Prizes are provided by the organizer and collected from them. SmoothRaffle does not own, supply, warrant or insure any prize, and is not responsible for a prize that is not what you expected, is unavailable, or is not collected. Unclaimed prizes are handled by the organizer.
Notifications
We send transactional messages only: sign-in links by email, and notice that you have won. Each channel can be switched off on your notification settings page. We do not send marketing messages.
Text messages
SmoothRaffle text messages. If you tick the text-message box on the signup form, SmoothRaffle texts you from one number, (567) 371-4681, about your own activity at events you entered: a notice when you win a basket, a reminder from the organizer if a prize you won is still waiting to be collected, and, only if you also switch on text receipts in your settings, a receipt when you buy tickets. When you tick the box we send one text confirming what you signed up for. Message frequency varies, and is typically no more than one or two messages per basket you win, plus one per purchase if you turned receipts on. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to texts is not a condition of buying tickets or of using SmoothRaffle.
Reply STOP to any text to stop receiving texts. Reply HELP to any text for help, or email support@smoothraffle.com. You can also switch texts off on your notification settings page. Carriers are not liable for any delayed or undelivered messages. How we handle your number is in the privacy policy; the exact consent wording and an example of each message are on the text messages page.
Acceptable use
- Do not create accounts for other people, or use a number you do not own.
- Do not attempt to interfere with a draw, or with anyone else's entries.
- Do not attempt to gain access to accounts, data or systems that are not yours.
- Do not use SmoothRaffle for anything unlawful.
We may suspend an account that does any of these.
Availability
We work to keep SmoothRaffle running, but we do not guarantee it will be available without interruption. An event may go ahead on paper if the software is unavailable; that is the organizer's call.
Liability
SmoothRaffle is provided as-is. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, for the conduct of an organizer or a patron, or for a prize. Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.
Changes
We may update these terms; the date at the top will change when we do. Continuing to use SmoothRaffle after a change means you accept it.