Wodonga Raiders ordered to redraw raffle after committee member wins $70k prize

In short:

A country Victorian sports club has been ordered to redraw a fundraising raffle after a committee member won the first prize draw.

The first prize for the draw, which was conducted on social media, was a $70,000 ute.

What's next?

The club says it will redraw the raffle in its clubrooms on July 16 but that no additional tickets will be sold.

A north-east Victorian sports club has been forced to redraw a major fundraising raffle after a committee member won the major prize.

The Wodonga Raiders Football and Netball Club, which competes in the Ovens and Murray League near the Victorian-NSW border, sold 2,500 tickets in its raffle with a $70,000 ute as the first prize.

The raffle was live-streamed on social media on June 6.

Later that week, the club revealed the handover of the major prize was on hold after it discovered the winner, a committee member, was ineligible.

The matter was referred to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), which ordered a redraw on July 16.

"A redraw is necessary to ensure compliance with Victorian raffle requirements," a VGCCC spokesperson said.

"Organisations (community or charity) that hold raffles may need to apply for a permit, depending on the total value of the prizes.

" If the VGCCC grants a permit, the raffle must be run in accordance with the conditions of the permit. "

Back to the draw

The terms and conditions of the raffle excluded committee members, those directly involved in the raffle, and their relatives, meaning they were not allowed to enter.

The original live-stream of the draw has been removed from the club's Facebook page, however promotional videos remain online.

"No additional tickets have been sold or added to the raffle," a statement reads on the raffle website.

A statement on the website, which hosted the raffle, said every ticket sold, that had not been refunded, would be included in the redraw.

Wodonga Raiders president Zennon McCarty confirmed with the ABC that some tickets, which cost $100 each, were refunded after the initial draw.

When asked how ineligible raffle tickets were initially included in the first draw, Mr McCarty said: "It just slipped by us."

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