Charity lottery glossary
Last updated 15 October 2026 (AEST) · 14 terms · Method: definitions written by our editors; the open-draw table is read from each operator's published draw pages on every sync.
Prize home and charity lotteries use their own vocabulary. This glossary explains the 14 terms you will meet on draw pages and in operators' terms, in plain English.
How to use this page
Pick a term in the table to read its full meaning, common questions and the draws it applies to right now.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Art union | An art union is a lottery run to raise money for a charity or community group under a state or territory licence. The name dates from 19th-century lotteries whose prizes were artworks. |
| Charity proceeds | Charity proceeds are the money a lottery raises for its cause after prizes, marketing and running costs are paid. |
| Closing date | The closing date is the last day tickets can be bought for a draw, unless it sells out earlier. Early bird rounds have closing dates of their own. |
| Early bird draw | An early bird draw is a smaller draw held before the main draw. Tickets bought before the early bird closing date are entered in it and still go into the main draw. |
| Eligibility | Eligibility is who may enter a lottery: usually adults aged 18 or over, living in the states the operator's permit covers. It is set out in each lottery's terms. |
| Gaming licence or permit | A charity lottery in Australia needs a licence or permit from the gaming regulator in its state or territory. The permit sets how the lottery is run, sold and drawn. |
| Major draw | The major draw is the draw for the first prize, usually the house. It happens after ticket sales close or the lottery sells out. |
| Odds per ticket | The odds per ticket are your chance of winning the first prize with one ticket: one in the number of tickets sold, which is at most the ticket pool. |
| Prize home lottery | A prize home lottery is a charity lottery whose first prize is a fully furnished house, usually with extra prizes such as cash, a car or gold bullion. |
| Responsible play | Responsible play means treating a lottery ticket as a donation with a chance of a prize, spending only what you can afford to lose, and stopping if it stops being fun. |
| Sold out | A lottery is sold out when every ticket in its pool has been sold. No more entries are taken, and the major draw usually goes ahead on the scheduled date. |
| Tax on lottery prizes | In Australia, a prize won in a game of chance such as a charity lottery is generally not treated as taxable income. |
| Ticket bundle | A ticket bundle is a pack of several tickets sold at a lower price per ticket than buying them one at a time. |
| Ticket pool | The ticket pool is the maximum number of tickets a lottery is allowed to sell, set by its permit. If every ticket sells, your odds for one ticket are one in that number. |
| Draw | Operator | Prize | Ticket from | Odds if sold outOne ticket, from the published ticket pool | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win $5.4M Mater Draw 327 — Wurtulla, QLD prize home | Mater Lotteries | $5.3M | $2.00 | Not published | 20 October 2026 |
| Win $541K Mater Cars for Cancer Draw 131 — prestige car lottery | Mater Cars for Cancer | $541K | $30.00 | Not published | 13 November 2026 |
| Win $2.88M Yourtown Draw 561 — Buderim, QLD prize home | Yourtown | $2.88M | — | Not published | 18 November 2026 |
| Win $200K Endeavour Pay Day Draw 222 — prestige car lottery | Endeavour Pay Day Lotteries | $200K | $5.00 | Not published | 26 November 2026 |
| Win $3.4M Endeavour Draw 470 — Mooloolaba, QLD prize home | Endeavour Lotteries | $3.4M | $10.00 | Not published | 10 December 2026 |
| BRAND NEW LOTTERY! | Mater Lotteries | $100K | — | Not published | 12 December 2026 |
| Win $14.7M Dream Home Draw 435 — Palm Beach, QLD prize home | Dream Home Art Union | $14.7M | $10.00 | Not published | 16 December 2026 |
| Win $7.1M Mater Draw 328 — Helensvale, QLD prize home | Mater Lotteries | $7.1M | $2.00 | Not published | 20 December 2026 |
| Win $360K Yourtown Prestige Cars Draw 1159 — prestige car lottery | Yourtown Prestige Cars | $360K | $10.00 | 1 in 180K | 21 December 2026 |
Glossary in practice
Definitions are general. Where operators do things differently the entry says so; the operator's own terms and conditions always decide.
Questions about glossary
What is the difference between an art union and a lottery?
An art union is a lottery run for a charity or community group under a state or territory permit. Commercial lotteries such as Lotto are run for profit under a different licence.
What does early bird mean in a prize home lottery?
An early bird draw is a smaller draw held before the main draw. Tickets bought before its closing date are entered in it and still go into the main draw.