Chinese Raffle (Tricky Tray): How to Host One - Complete 2026 Guide

The Chinese Raffle, which is also commonly known as a tricky tray, penny social, basket raffle, or brown bag auction, is a very popular form of fundraising. It takes the best parts of a silent auction and a raffle and combines them to create something very unique. Your guests will buy strips of raffle tickets and then place them in bowls by the items that they want to bid on. 

When the time comes to announce the winners for each item, a ticket is drawn from the bowl. Essentially, the more tickets you have in the bowl, the higher your chance of winning. They’re a lot of fun, and in my experience they often turn out to be some of the most successful fundraising events. But how do you host a Chinese raffle of your own? 

In this guide, I’m going to take you through everything you need to know so that you can prep your next fundraiser and have the event of a lifetime. 

Why Does the Chinese Raffle Have Multiple Names? 

It can be confusing when you first come across a Chinese auction, or raffle, and find out that it has so many different names. It’s not a common occurrence within fundraising, but there is a reason for it. The term Chinese auction is considered to be quite outdated, and many nonprofits are making the slow transition towards different terminology. 

The reason it’s considered outdated is that it comes from old slang where the term Chinese actually means cheap, backwards, or wrong. It’s a reference to a time when Chinese labourers were paid much lower wages and when people generally thought the Chinese were ‘backwards’ in their beliefs and traditions. That’s why we’re all moving towards better alternatives. 

Tricky tray and penny social have a better ring to them and are considered to be the most common modern alternatives. Before long, we’ll likely see these names more than we do Chinese Raffle. 

How a Chinese Raffle Works 

At the beginning of the event, guests will buy bundles of raffle tickets that they can use to bid on items. In some cases, guests keep half of their stubs and use the other half to bid, while in others they use all of the tickets and ensure their name and contact details are written on the back. That way, the winner of an item cannot be disputed when they are announced. 

You can set the price of your raffle tickets yourself, and there are a few ways you can do this. Some places might offer bundle deals on tickets, such as $1 for one or $20 for 30 tickets. Others have ticket strips that can be ripped off, and these are normally found in raffle books. You might also want to consider a ticket limit to keep things as balanced as possible. 

But this also means you need to consider the value of the prizes in accordance with the tickets that you’re selling. For example, you might have $1-2 tickets for the lowest entry tier and then $5 tickets for more enticing prizes such as a weekend getaway. You can even have a $10 tier for the really luxurious items or experiences if you have them available. 

The way you run things is completely up to you. Regardless of what you decide, the core rules for the event should remain the same. Our advice is to use the following as your foundations: 

• Your guests can place as many tickets as they want into a bowl, and they can also split their tickets between different prizes 
• All tickets must be in their bowls before your set cut-off time. Normally, this is anywhere from 30 or 15 minutes before the winners are announced (it’s up to you)
• Once a guest has placed a ticket in a bowl, they are not allowed to move it or take it back. All bids are final, and you must ensure that it is made clear to your guests

Ideally, you will want a neutral party to handle the actual drawing. This should be someone who isn’t directly involved with the fundraiser because then no one can question whether there was bias when the winner was selected. If you want to ensure that you make the drawing as fair as possible, you should consider doing the following: 

• Ensure the neutral party mixes the bowl very well before the draw to get all the tickets mixed evenly, and ensure none of the early ones are trapped at the bottom 
• Your neutral party should announce each of the winners live at the event in front of everyone to keep the results public and fully transparent 
• Always verify the winning ticket with the stubs that the guests have before you award them their prize. Verifying that they are the correct winner is the most important part
• You can move unclaimed prizes to a second drawing that takes place after around 10-15 minutes have passed if the original winner doesn’t come forward 
• If any stubs are lost or unrecognisable, the tickets should be redrawn to ensure fairness and transparency for your fundraiser

It works so well because participants actually get the prizes that they want instead of entering a raffle where they could win anything. It puts a fun twist on traditional raffles, and it makes them a lot more engaging as a result. You’ll find that you get higher participation levels as well because the more tickets a guest uses, the higher their chances of winning are. 

Chinese Raffle vs Other Raffle Formats 

There are several different types of raffles out there, which can make it harder for you to decide which one is going to work best for your fundraiser. The one that works for you depends on your guests, the amount you’re looking to raise, and how accessible you want it to be. 

When compared to a traditional raffle, the Chinese raffle is much more engaging. This is because guests have the chance to use their tickets to bid on specific items instead of waiting to see which prize out of many they have won (and many times it’s not the thing they wanted). Not being able to choose your prize does take some of the enjoyment out of the experience. 

Considering the Chinese raffle and traditional raffle have the same price range, it makes sense to switch things up a little since they are both very accessible forms of fundraising. You are also likely to make more from a Chinese raffle because of the added excitement and engagement that comes from choosing which prize the raffle tickets go towards. 

The silent auction, on the other hand, is designed for high-value items and is usually part of a gala or large fundraising event. Silent auctions work through bidding instead of raffle tickets, but they are similar in the sense that bids are written down either on a sheet of paper or a folded piece of paper in a basket where they are kept secret until the end of the night.

The winner is the person with the highest bid on their slip of paper, and they are the one who claims the prize and wins the auction. All they have to do is pay for the item, and it’s sorted. It’s a very simple process, and while it does generate interest and excitement, it’s not on the same level as a Chinese auction. 

But if you’re looking to create a lot of hype and excitement around your fundraiser, the 50/50 raffle is something to keep an eye on. It’s very different from a Chinese raffle in that it doesn’t use the ticket-in-baskets system. In fact, it runs more like a traditional raffle because there is one ticket that will be chosen as the winner at the end. 

However, instead of claiming one of several prizes, the winner gets half of the money raised that night. It’s a very high-energy event because there is only one thing that everyone is bidding on, and the sense of anticipation in the air is an adrenaline rush in itself. Quick fundraising often benefits from a 50/50 raffle, and it’s a good way to spread the word about your cause. 

It’s quite similar to the reverse raffle, which is another alternative to the Chinese raffle. Once again, there is one grand prize at the end, but it’s normally an item or experience instead of half the money raised. It builds up a sense of excitement as losing tickets are slowly eliminated throughout the night until the winner is chosen. 

Raffle Comparison Table

It’s a lot to take in, so this comparison table should help you figure out how each raffle type works and what it’s best for. The Chinese raffle is fantastic and a great way to build excitement and engagement, but we also know it might not be suited to your fundraiser. Hopefully, this will give you a few ideas for the planning process. 

How to Plan a Chinese Raffle in 10 Simple Steps

The planning is always the hardest part, which is why we’re here to make things easy. With these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to running the fundraiser of a lifetime. Tricky tray raffles don’t have to be hard, and we understand how much you have to deal with as a nonprofit. 

#1 Define Your Budget and Goals for Your Fundraiser 

The budget is essential because you need to make sure that you aren’t spreading yourself too thin or spending more than your nonprofit can afford. This includes the price of prizes, the venue, running costs, and any fees from virtual platforms if you’re not hosting an in-person event. You should have these written down in detail for your reference. 

You will also need to determine your goals for the event. How many tickets do you want to sell? How much money do you need to raise for your cause? How many people are you hoping will attend? All of these are important considerations to make when running a Chinese raffle, or any fundraiser, and goals are essential if you want to be successful. 

Budgets and goals will also help you with future events. You’ll be able to see where you overspent as well as areas that didn’t get enough attention, and you can take a closer look at which prizes were popular and which weren’t. Most importantly, it will show you which of your goals were met and which ones were missed so that you can focus your attention on them. 

#2 Source the Prizes for Your Fundraiser 

Getting prizes from corporations and businesses is the best way forward as a nonprofit. You don’t have a lot of money to spend, and donations mean that you can partner with them in a positive way to help promote their business through the generosity they have shown toward your cause. It looks good on them, and it saves you loads of money. 

It can feel daunting trying to source donations, but there are loads of companies that donate to nonprofits (as per our guide), and you will find that many people want to help a good cause. You should also speak with local businesses, as they will often help out in exchange for advertising and a shoutout to get new customers in the door, which means it benefits you both. 

#3 Prepare Your Themed Prize Baskets 

Once you have all of your prizes, you can get started on preparing your themed baskets. These are the things that will make or break your event, so you have to make sure the contents stand out while also giving the basket visual appeal. Decorate it with ribbons and greenery or fake berries and flowers to match the aesthetic of the contents. 

People want to be won over by the baskets, and you want them to be enticed enough that they spend money on tickets to win them. Decorating the basket is almost as important as what’s inside it, and we can give you a hand with that in the Prize Basket Ideas section below. Once they’re ready to go, you can get on with the pricing. 

#4 Set Your Ticket Prices 

You have complete freedom with the pricing for your Chinese raffle, but we do have some solid advice based on our own experience with helping to run these events. Typically, tickets start at $1 each, which is a fantastic entry-level price. You then have offers like $20 for 30 or $40 for 100 that save guests money and give them more for it. 

You could also offer discounts for the early birds that give them an extra $2-$5 off the bundle prices, and there is another option to consider. Grand prizes are quite exciting during this type of raffle, and they usually cost more tickets if you want to bid on them. These are usually high-value items and can help you bring in a little more money and keep ticket sales flowing. 

#5 Plan the Format and Venue for Your Event 

Now, you need to plan how your event is going to run. If you’re doing it in-person, you need to sort out a venue, hire it, and arrange for it to be properly decorated for the night. If you’re hosting it virtually, you need to decide on a platform that can help you set everything up and get you started. We have a few recommendations that include: 

• PayBee (Free Tier)
• Eventgroove
• Givebutter (Free Tier) 
• RallyUp (Free Tier) 

All of these are great choices for a virtual event, and if you want to host a hybrid Chinese raffle, then you’re going to need the help of an online platform. Hybrid events are very popular, but since it means you need to handle the virtual and in-person sides of things, having a platform that can handle them on your behalf takes a lot of the pressure off. 

#6 Verify State Raffle Laws and Ensure Gaming Compliance 

It’s really important that you check state laws and ensure you are fully compliant with all of the gaming laws and regulations. As a nonprofit, you need to be 501(c)(3) registered in order to host your event, and you will need to verify your raffle with the attorney general or state gaming commission. Without this, you won’t be able to legally have a raffle. 

Since raffles are considered a form of gambling, not all states allow them either. You will have to check local and state laws carefully before planning your event, and penny socials are counted as a form of raffle from a legal perspective. We have more details on what you need to look for from a legal perspective in our State Raffle Law section below. 

#7 Promote Your Event and Sell Tickets 

All that’s left before the event is for you to promote it and sell tickets in advance. While you should have tickets for sale at the door, advance tickets are a good early-bird incentive and can feature discounts that guests won’t get on the day. This is also a good opportunity to take advantage of the ticketing system on online fundraising platforms like PayBee. 

You should make sure you have a large social media presence and post regularly to attract more traffic. Take pictures of the themed prize baskets (and make sure they’re good images) so that you can showcase what people have the chance to win and get them excited. Be clear about the ticket prices as well and include them on your informational posts. 

The important thing to remember is that you need to ensure the message behind your cause is still there. It’s not just about the great prizes; it’s also about helping to raise money for those who need it. Keep your posts energetic and excited, but remind people what they are supporting. If you spread the word and partner up with others online, you’ll sell tickets in no time. 

#8 Run Your Event and Carry Out Prize Draws 

When you run your event, you should make sure you put the spotlight on the prizes. If you’re at a physical location, spruce up the tables and make them look fantastic so that the baskets sit on them like a centrepiece. You can do the same thing online and work with the lighting and angles to give the photographs the same effect. 

Sell tickets at the door and keep the sales going right up until the last minute so that you can take full advantage of every second the event is running. Once all the bids have been placed and the raffle has closed, you can do the prize draw and have the winners announced. Make it a big show and be sure to add plenty of excitement to the announcement. 

#9 Notify the Winners and Hand Out Prizes 

The winners will be notified that they have won when their ticket is called out. But you need to verify that it is their ticket first to ensure it’s going to the right person. This can be done via the information on the back of their ticket or the matching set of stubs that they keep at the start. It all depends on the way you decide to sell and hand out tickets. 

Once everything has been confirmed, you can hand out the prizes to each winner. This is usually done after every winner has been announced to avoid delays in the announcements and to ensure that any issues get resolved in private instead of making them a public spectacle. It’s a much more efficient way to do things. 

#10 Follow Up with Donors and Supporters 

You should always follow up with the people who donated prizes to your event and helped support your nonprofit. While most people say it’s okay to do this within 48 hours after the event, it’s polite to ensure it’s done within 24-hours. Ideally, you should send a personalised thank you email the next day to let them know how much you appreciate their support. 

It helps remind them that they made a difference, and the fact that you were polite and showed how grateful you were means they are more likely to donate prizes to you for future events. Your fundraisers are about building connections with donors and supporters as well as helping fund good causes that mean a lot to you. 

Some nonprofits also like to send guests an email thanking them for attending and taking part in the event. These ones don’t have to be personalised (we all know how long it would take), but it can be a nice way to remind them that they matter to you and that their donation made a difference. It’s a great way to help improve donor retention for future fundraisers. 

Prize Basket Ideas 

Themed baskets are the way to go with a Chinese raffle, and you’ll find that they perform up to three times better than regular mixed-item baskets. It might take a little more effort for you to put them together, but it’s worth it to ensure that you have a more successful fundraiser. We have some great raffle basket ideas that you can use to create fun and engaging themes: 

• Family Fun: You can fill this basket with supplies for family movie night, game night, and activities that everyone will enjoy. Add some snacks alongside the activities, and maybe even throw in some gift cards for movie rentals to make the evening complete. Or, you can go the experience route and make it themed around family experiences that everyone can enjoy. 
• Kids: This is always a winner. You can fill this themed basket with toys, games, and gift cards that will bring kids joy. Parents go wild for it, and when you add plenty of popular and sought-after toys (especially Jellycats), you’ll see plenty of tickets in the bowl. 
• Gift Cards: You can’t go wrong with a gift card bundle, and this is one of the most popular themed baskets out there. You can choose to theme your gift cards for things like local restaurants, experience days, tech, or vacation vouchers, or you can do a gift card bundle that branches over several different themes. 
• Spa and Self-Care: Everyone loves a spa day, and gift cards for spa experiences are a huge success. If you pair this with some at-home self-care items like lotions, face masks, creams, candles, and new towels, you have the perfect basket. You could even add a mindfulness journal in there to help with emotional processing and mental self-care. 
• Romance: Date nights are always a hit, and you can fill this basket with all of the essentials. A good bottle of wine, gift cards to a local restaurant for two, and comfortable blankets and snacks for watching a movie at home later. You can even throw in some candles for the romantic vibes later on. 
• Gourmet Food: People love good snacks. Most of the time, gourmet food baskets contain imported non-perishables from around the world. European imports are especially popular, as are those from Japan and Korea, so you can use current trends to influence what you decide to include in your basket. 
• Wines and Spirits: There is no wrong path with wine and spirits. You should ensure they are good-quality bottles and not the cheap stuff you find at the liquor store to make them feel more valuable to guests, but a good selection of alcohol can go a long way. You can even make them into separate baskets with one focusing on, for example, wines from around the world, while the other is all about sampling a selection of spirits. 
• Luxury Tea and Coffee: You will always find success with tea and coffee because the good quality, luxury stuff isn’t cheap, and most people want it. Choosing to fill a basket with high-end coffee or tea isn’t enough, though. You should also look into adding mugs, spoons, gourmet sugar cubes, and accompaniments such as cookies. 
• Chocolates and Sweet Treats: Choosing a selection of rich, luxury chocolates and gourmet sweets can work wonders for a themed basket. Think imports from Belgium and Switzerland, where the best chocolate comes from, and sweets from around the world to add an extra level of enticement to your basket. 
• Board Games: The possibilities are endless. You can choose family board games, murder mystery night games, tabletop games, strategy games, or just a selection of the classics. Board games are expensive, and they’re rising in popularity again. 
• Sports Baskets: If you choose golf, you can add custom balls, tees, and shirts. Football could include tickets to a game, a customised ball or shirt, and maybe a pair of boots for someone who plays. You could even include signed memorabilia to increase the value. 
• Mystery Baskets: The success of the mystery box is something that does extend to raffle baskets, and people love a good surprise. Mystery baskets create an element of excitement and anticipation around them that makes people more inclined to bid on them so that they can find out what’s inside. Just make sure you choose a good selection of items to make it worth it. 

Baskets like this will help your Chinese raffle thrive, and they make it more engaging for your guests. When people see something that they really want, they are more likely to buy more tickets to increase the odds of winning it. That’s the kind of hype you want around your raffle so that your nonprofit gets to experience an incredibly successful fundraiser. 

State Raffle Laws 

Most states classify Chinese raffles as standard raffles, which means there are certain laws that need to be followed before you can host your fundraiser. While the rules and regulations are going to vary between states, there are some things that are highly likely to remain the same regardless of where you’re operating from. They are as follows: 

• You will likely need a charitable gaming license 
• In order to run a Chinese raffle, you will need to be a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit
• Any prizes over $6,000 will trigger IRS reports and will require you to fill out IRS Form W-2G / 1099-MISC
• You should verify your raffle with the state attorney general or gaming commission to stay in compliance, the same way that other raffles do 

As we’ve said, you will need to check the specifics with your state in order to remain legally compliant, but it’s best to be as prepared as possible. For example, some states have very strict restrictions on what the total value of a raffle prize can be, which means that not all states will allow nonprofits to run 50/50 raffles. 

You should also remember to keep track of all the money you have made through donations, the number of tickets sold, and the prizes that have been won. It is likely that you’ll need to report to the state after the event and show them all of the evidence for your accounting and documentation so that they can verify it was a legitimate event. 

Additionally, if you don’t already hold a license for gaming in your state, you will likely need to apply for one before you can host your event. This is done through the gaming commission, the attorney general for the state, or the local county clerk. As long as you follow state laws, you will be absolutely fine, and your raffle will run smoothly. 

Tips for Maximising Revenue 

The typical revenue from a Chinese raffle is anywhere between $ 1,000 and $ 25,000, depending on the size of the event and the price of the tickets. You have the potential to raise a lot of money with an event like this, and we have some great tips for maximising revenue that will help you make the most of it: 

• Keep your prizes displayed prominently so that guests can look at them up close and get excited over the contents 
• Allow ticket purchases right up until the last five minutes before the bidding closes to keep your guests engaged 
• Encourage people to spread their tickets strategically across prizes instead of putting everything in one basket, which will help increase your ticket sales 
• Offer early bird pricing on tickets to give people an incentive to buy early instead of after they have spent time lingering and looking around. This keeps the excitement high
• Consider adding a grand prize basket that requires extra tickets and has high-value items inside that will make people want to bid their tickets on it

Another tip is to ensure that you are always serving food and drinks at your event. It makes people feel more relaxed and comfortable, which means they are more likely to splurge on some extra tickets and help raise more money. It’s also polite to make sure your guests are given refreshments, and it goes a long way in securing extra bids. 

While you don’t want to be overly pushy with the message behind the cause you’re supporting, it’s a good idea to have a few reminders of what the money is going towards at the event. It doesn’t matter if it’s a PTO school fundraiser or a volunteer fire department event; the message is what helps incentivise people to buy tickets. They want to help; it’s why they’re there. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is a Chinese Raffle?

A Chinese raffle is where raffle tickets are placed in baskets next to prizes and used as a form of bidding on that item. At the end, the winning ticket is chosen from the basket. The more tickets a person puts in, the higher their chance of winning the item they want. 

Why is it Called "Chinese Raffle"? What are the Alternate Names?

It’s called a Chinese raffle based on outdated slang where Chinese means ‘cheap’ or ‘wrong’. Its alternate names include tricky tray, penny social, basket raffle, and brown bag auction.

How is a Chinese Raffle Different From a Regular Raffle?

A regular raffle works by allowing people to buy tickets for a selection of prizes. When the winning tickets are called, the winner is given their prize and is not allowed to choose from those available. In a Chinese raffle, people get to use their raffle tickets to bid on specific items, which means if they win, they get something they definitely want. 

How Much Can a Chinese Raffle Raise?

On average, a Chinese raffle can raise $1,000-$25,000. While this depends on the prizes that are offered and the size of the event, it’s an excellent average for a fundraiser and makes it perfect for small and medium nonprofits. 

Do You Need a License to Run a Chinese Raffle?

Yes, you need a license to run a Chinese raffle. It is classed as a raffle in most states, which means you will need a license and you will need to be registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 

What's the Difference Between a Chinese Raffle and a Silent Auction?

A Chinese raffle has people place raffle tickets in a basket next to the prize they want, and the winning ticket is drawn at the end of the event. In a silent auction, people write down the amount they want to bid on a piece of paper and the highest bid is announced as the winner at the end of the night. 

Final Thoughts 

We have no doubt that your Chinese raffle will be a huge success at your next fundraising event. You can have so much fun with the idea, and the themed baskets are usually a hit with guests. But we also know that setting everything up can be daunting, and sometimes you need some expert guidance to get you back on track. That’s where we come in. 

At PayBee, we’re dedicated to helping nonprofits make the most out of their events so that they can raise money for the causes that need them. Get in touch with us today and talk to us about our free tier for auctions and raffles to see how we can help streamline the process and ensure that your event goes the way you want it to.