Why aren't we offering raffle tickets online?

You may have noticed over the last few months that the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association is no longer offering Class A raffle tickets online. Class A raffles are where the purchaser does not need to be present to win.

That’s because we were told to stop by the Wisconsin Division of Gaming. And if we don’t comply, we run the risk losing all of our charitable gaming raffle licenses.

As you know, the funds we raise from these raffles helps WWA accomplish our mission to restore critical habitat in Wisconsin, educate the next generation of waterfowl hunters, and advocate for policies that protect Wisconsin’s resources and the rights of citizens to hunt.

The Wisconsin Division of Gaming believes that our Class A raffle practices do not comply with state law, and threatened to revoke our charitable gaming license if we didn't stop offering these raffle opportunities.

We disagree and are EXTREMELY confident that our practices comply with state law since we had our practices reviewed by attorneys before we started selling them. So we are fighting against the Division of Gaming’s interpretation, actively engaging them to seek a fair resolution.

Unfortunately, that has not happened.

In the short-term, WWA is adjusting to handle the revenue losses this order causes. But in the long-term, this unsupported state ruling will have significant impacts on WWA and our ability to continue the great things we do to meet our mission.

This includes initiatives like our new Public Lands Ecologists who are working to identify and develop restoration plans for public lands here in Wisconsin; our ongoing habitat efforts which to date have restored more than 10,000 acres of critical wetlands in Wisconsin; and our wood duck nesting program where our volunteers put up and maintain hundreds of nesting boxes across Wisconsin each year.