How the lottery works
Everything you need to know, from your first entry to your first prize.
Step by step
Choose your entries
Pick 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 entries a week. Each entry costs £1 per draw and has its own lottery number, so 3 entries means 3 chances to win every Friday. Nobody can hold more than 10 entries.
Set up your payment
Pay by monthly Direct Debit or debit card through our secure payment provider. We take payment on or just after the 1st of each month, for every Friday draw in that month. We do not accept credit cards.
We check your details
We confirm that you are 18 or over and live in Great Britain. If we cannot confirm your age, we will ask you for proof before your entries go into a draw.
Receive your lottery numbers
Within 7 days you will receive an email confirmation with your unique six-digit lottery number for each entry. This confirmation is your ticket. Keep it safe.
Every Friday, the draw
At 8pm every Friday, ten winning lottery numbers are chosen at random from all paid entries. Your entries are in every draw for as long as you play.
Winners are paid automatically
If one of your numbers is drawn we email you and pay the prize into your bank account within 10 working days. You never need to claim.
Your entry numbers
Every entry has a unique six-digit lottery number, for example 104 237. The number stays the same for as long as you play, so you only need to remember it once.
If you increase your entries, each new entry gets a new number. If you reduce them, the most recently issued numbers are retired first.
How the draw is made
The winning numbers are chosen by a computer-based random number generator, using only entries that have been paid for that week. Each entry has exactly the same chance of winning.
Every draw is overseen by two members of the Kirk Session who play no part in selling tickets. They sign the draw record, which we keep for at least three years and send to Argyll and Bute Council in our lottery returns.
Draw schedule
Draws happen every Friday at 8pm, including bank holiday weeks.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, midnight | Entries close for that Friday's draw. Payments must have cleared. |
| Friday, 8pm | The weekly draw is made. Ten winning numbers are selected. |
| Saturday, by 12 noon | Results published on our Prizes and draws page. Winners are emailed. |
| Within 10 working days | Prizes paid into winners' bank accounts. |
| First Friday of March, June, September and December | Superdraw week: an extra prize worth 10% of that week's takings. |
How prizes are paid
- Prizes are paid by bank transfer to the account your Direct Debit or card is linked to.
- If you pay by card, or we cannot pay into your account, we will email you to arrange a bank transfer or send a cheque to your registered address.
- Prizes of £100 or more may require a quick ID check (photo ID and proof of address) before payment. We will tell you exactly what we need.
- Lottery prizes are not subject to UK income tax.
- If a prize cannot be paid within 180 days, despite our efforts to contact you, it is added to the money raised for the church's work, as explained in our terms.
Prefer to give without playing?
A one-off or monthly gift supports the same work in our parish. If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 you give, at no cost to you.