A sports club in rural Victoria has been instructed to redo a fundraising raffle after a member of its committee emerged as the first prize winner.
The top prize in this raffle, held online, was a utility vehicle valued at $70,000.
The club announced that the raffle will be redrawn at its facilities on July 16, but there will be no further ticket sales.
The Wodonga Raiders Football and Netball Club, located in north-east Victoria and part of the Ovens and Murray League near the border of Victoria and New South Wales, sold 2,500 tickets for the raffle, which featured the $70,000 ute as its main prize.
The draw, which took place via live stream on social media on June 6, was followed by the club’s announcement later that week that the prize distribution was paused after they identified that the winner, a committee member, did not meet eligibility criteria.
This situation prompted a referral to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), which mandated a redraw on July 16.
A spokesperson from the VGCCC indicated, “A redraw is essential to ensure adherence to the raffle regulations in Victoria.” They further explained, “Community or charitable organizations conducting raffles may need to secure a permit based on the total prize value. If a permit is granted by the VGCCC, the raffle must comply with the stipulated permit conditions.”
The raffle’s terms clearly stated that committee members, individuals directly associated with the raffle, and their relatives were prohibited from participating.
The original live stream of the raffle has been removed from the club’s Facebook page, although promotional videos continue to be accessible.
The raffle website states, “No additional tickets have been sold or added.” It also confirmed that all tickets sold, which have not been refunded, will be included in the upcoming redraw.
Wodonga Raiders president Zennon McCarty confirmed to ABC News that some tickets, priced at $100 each, were refunded following the initial draw.
When questioned about how ineligible tickets were mistakenly included in the first draw, Mr. McCarty simply stated, “It just slipped by us.”
