Australia is one of the only countries in the world that has quite stringent rules around running competitions. There are two different types of competitions to consider:
A game of skill is any competition that does not use a random draw for the winner. Generally this would mean that you simply have a judge choose the best entry based on its merit, or having users vote publicly on entries then the one with the most votes wins.
Examples of Games of Skill:
Photo Judging Contest
Instagram Photo Contest
Explain in 25 words or less why you should win something
Any contest that has a voting mechanism (i.e. vote for the best entry)
User submitted contest contest
Any contest that is judged on merit
If you are running a lottery, sweepstakes or a competition that requires a random draw to pick the winners then you may require a permit depending on the states your campaign is running in and the value of your prize. These promotions are often called Trade Promotion Lotteries.
Competitions will require a permit in the ACT if your prize is worth less than $5,000 but more than $3,000.
Competitions with a prize of more than $5,000 will require permits in SA, ACT & NT.
Competitions with a prize of more than $10,000 require permits in NSW.
Games of Chance that are open to residents of NSW require a trade promotion permit if the total prize pool is valued at $10,000 or more.
You can find out more about NSW trade promotion regulations and apply for a permit here.
You do not require a trade promotion permit for any Games of Skill or Game of Chance.
You do not require a trade promotion permit for any Games of Skill or Game of Chance.
Trade promotion permits are required for Games of Chance open to SA residents if the prize is valued at $5,000 or more.
You can find out more about SA trade promotion regulations and apply for a permit here.
Trade promotion permits are required for Games of Chance open to ACT residents if the prize is valued at $3,000 or more.
You can find out more about ACT trade promotion regulations and apply for a permit here.
Trade promotion permits are required for Games of Chance open to NT residents if the prize is valued at $5,000 or more. If
You can find out more about NT trade promotion regulations and apply for a permit here.
You do not require a trade promotion permit for any Games of Skill or Games of Chance that comply with prescribed conditions.
You can find out more about these prescribed conditions here.
You do not require a trade promotion permit for any Games of Skill or Games of Chance that comply with prescribed conditions.
You can find out more about these prescribed conditions here.
The cost of the permits is different per state:
NSW: $389
ACT: $216 (Prizes over $5,000 will cost more)
NT: $0
SA: $215 (Prizes over $10,000 will cost more)
Unfortunately yes, online competitions are treated the same as raffles & lotteries.
Each individual state has their own application process, you must fill in a PDF with the relevant details.
Allow up to 28 days to receive any permits.
Normally 12 months, however the length varies by state.
Currently NSW is the only state that allows you to buy a permit that will be valid for more than 1 competition.
