Legislation would allow nonprofits to accept electronic payments for raffle tickets
Selling raffle tickets to win things like air fryers, gift cards or tickets to sporting events are a handy way for nonprofit organizations to boost their budgets and keep the public interested in what they do.
But in Pennsylvania, some nonprofit leaders say they are being hamstrung by rules that are rooted in a different time and tailored for different consumer habits.
As it stands, nonprofits can only accept checks or cash for raffle tickets, even as fewer and fewer people carry cash, and the use of personal checks has precipitously declined. Forms of electronic payment like PayPal, Venmo or credit cards cannot be used. But legislation that has been approved by the state Senate and is working its way through the state House could change that.
The measure, introduced by Sen. Devlin Robinson, a Bridgeville Republican, would allow eligible nonprofit groups to accept electronic payments for raffle tickets. It was passed unanimously by the state Senate in July 2025, and an amended version was approved by the House Gaming Oversight Committee last week. Once that version is approved by the House, it would go back to the Senate for another vote, then be signed by the governor.
“Pennsylvania nonprofits and volunteer organizations work hard to support and serve their communities, and our laws should reflect the way people make purchases today,” Robinson said in a press conference at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. He said the measure “is a commonsense update that gives these organizations fundraising options without changing the safeguards already in place. … It is time to bring Pennsylvania’s fundraising laws into the modern era.”
Robinson was joined at the press conference by an assortment of nonprofit officials. Daniel Wauthier, chief of the volunteer fire department in the South Hills community of Presto, explained that the current law “is outdated and inconvenient for people who wish to support our fundraisers.”
Diane Unkovic, the governance chair on the Pittsburgh Symphony Association’s board, said her organization has long used a sweepstakes raffle to raise funds, and “the inability to use online payment services to purchase chances is stifling our ability to raise funds and attract younger participants.”
Their sentiments were echoed by Luke Szymanski, operations manager for Fayette Friends of Animals in Uniontown, who said changing the law “would be great. It would lower the barriers of entry.”
The possible change in the law has been discussed among local nonprofit officials and bar association executives, according to Kathy Sabol, executive director of the Washington County Bar Association.
“Yes, it would greatly help every single charity in the state if donors can pay for raffles using credit cards, debit cards and other e-payments for raffle tickets,” said Sabol, who manages the county bar association’s charitable organization. “Hardly anyone carries cash, and even fewer carry checks. Money orders? Never.”