When you hear the words sports and charity in the same sentence, chances are you are reminded of kids selling candy bars, wrapping paper, cookie dough, and raffle tickets to raise funds for the various sports programmes that they participate in. Usually the investment seems a bit steep for the money spent, but at least you know that you’ve done your part to support a local kid and their team. It seems that major national teams are taking a cue from their pint-sized counterparts when it comes to charity raffles and fundraising.
Fundraising and Sports
Sure, it is nothing new to hear of people betting on various sporting events, but that is not the only form of gambling that can occur when it comes to sports. Take the above example of kids selling items in order to raise money; the UK Olympic and Paralympic teams can thank lottery players for their contributions to their teams when they purchase a lottery ticket. A portion of ticket sales are donated to both UK teams.
Major sports teams and clubs looking to make a foray into charitable donations are looking to use 50-50 raffles to get fans excited and to raise money. In the US, many sports organizations like the NHL, MLB, MLS, PGA, NASCAR, and even the NBA have turned to electronically-run 50-50 charity raffles. Despite being traditionally against gambling, even the NFL is getting into the action. With such a wide audience and appeal, it’s no wonder that different non-profit organizations are taking a keen interest. In Canada, the Calgary Flames averages $60,000-$70,000 per game in raffle sales. The World Juniors tournament is reported to have raffle sales of $300,000 for its 2010 series. With those kinds of ticket sales, it’s natural that charities are excited to get involved. One of the key ways that sports clubs keep the fans involved and interested in the raffle is by keeping a running pot total, and number of tickets sold for easy view on one of the digital scoreboards, reminding everyone just how much there is to win.
Sports Themed Plays
In addition to being able to help sports teams raise funds for nonprofits and charity raffles, it is also possible to play sports themed lottery games. When the world cup is on, it is not unusual to see quite a few football themed scratch cards and lottery games. In the US, when the Minnesota Vikings were getting ready to open their new stadium, the state-sponsored lottery decided to offer a new Vikings themed lottery scratch card game. The state of Michigan also just launched a new sports-themed virtual lottery ticket. When players “scratch” their online ticket, a video clip of a single football play is used to reveal the outcome of the symbol match game. Sports themed scratchers and lottery games are a great way to get fans excited about the upcoming season and to show team pride.
So, as you can see lotteries, charity raffles, and sports can often go hand in hand. Sports clubs and venues offer eager fans a chance to help out in their community, or with charitable causes for just a little donation. Fans are also able to celebrate their favorite teams and sports with fun themed lottery games. What’s not to love about the combination?
