The Rat and Mouse has taken a fairly consistent view of property raffles over the years. To sum up. Don't organise them. Don't buy into them. Don't go near them. Don't believe them. Recently - a small rash of raffles led the mainstream media to assume they were a new thing, crunch-related and caused by the tough property market conditions. One particular raffle - of a nice country house in Devon - got a lot of publicity, even an appearance on Radio 4's Today programme, and so seemed like the first property raffle in the Rat and Mouse's experience to achieve successful enough sales for some deeds to change hands. (Normally, too few tickets are sold, and the prize reverts to a share of takings... after generous "expenses".) But wait... the draw was meant to take place yesterday, and yet...

A RAFFLE to sell a £1m house near Crediton was put on hold this week after the Gambling Commission stepped in to investigate.

Here we go. The problem is that - under British gaming law - lotteries for private gain are illegal. Organisers have tried to get around the rule by setting entrants very simple questions... but it appears the questions might be so simple they're not performing their function... to turn the competition into a game of skill and, thus, not a private lottery. Statement, here.

Houses raffled [October 2, 2008]
The real estate competition business [November 21, 2006]
A post revisited - now look what's gone and happened [August 10, 2006]
Have I been a git? The Rat and Mouse gets in a fight [July 11, 2006]

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