Housie (bingo) night
A social evening of housie with cash prizes; the profit comes mainly from entry, food and side raffles.
Typically raises
$1,000
$300–3,000 per eventest.
About $87 per organiser hour
Based on one Class 2 housie session
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $500–2,000
- Work
- A few evenings
- Helpers
- 3–6 people
- Lead time
- 1–2 months
- Red tape
- Some
Fairly common: a nostalgic favourite still run by clubs and marae
- People
- 1 caller, 2-3 cash/cards, 1 checker, kitchen helpers
- Organiser time
- 8-15 [Estimate]
- Lead time
- 3-4 weeks
- Up-front cost
- Housie books and dabbers; hall hire if any. Cash prizes are paid from takings on the night, so risk is low if the prize structure is a percentage of sales announced before each game.
- Risk
- Low, if the prizes are a percentage of sales announced before each game.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Sell at $20 a card, keep about $6 of each, so 184 cards = $1,104, or about $1,004 after about $100 of costs. That’s about the typical result.
Using the figures on this page. Your prices and costs will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
[Estimate] At least 70% of card money must go back as prizes, so the max retained from cards in a Class 2 session is ~$2,143 (max turnover $7,143, per NZ Police). Example: Taieri Bowling Club bingo night at $20 to play.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Book the venue and a confident caller.
- Buy compliant housie books.
- Set card prices and prize splits so >= 70% returns as prizes.
- Advertise the date, price and the society.
- On the night: sell cards, announce each game's prizes, call, check, pay cash immediately.
- Run food and a raffle alongside for the real margin.
- Record session takings and prizes paid.
Getting the word out
Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.
- Ask for help
- Sellers to take a book of tickets, and businesses to give prizes.
- Ask people to buy
- People to buy tickets.
- When to start
- Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.
Where to put it
- Asking people yourselfMost yeses come from someone asking directly. Give every member a short message they can send to family and workmates.
- PostersPosters at the school gate, the clubrooms and shop windows, with the date, place, price and how to pay.
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- Email lists and group chatsYour members’ email list and the class, team or church group chats. Short, with one date or one link.
The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.
What you’ll need
- Place
- NeededA hired venue
- Landowner’s permission
- Not needed
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- CheckNo registration if you sell food to fundraise for a good cause up to 20 times a calendar year. It must still be safe and suitable, and your council may need a stall permit
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- NeededClass 2: prizes up to $5,000 and all tickets printed worth up to $25,000. Run by a club or society, with the money going to community or charitable purposes. Prizes at least 20% of ticket value; sold in person only, every ticket numbered (our rule: on paper). Prizes over $5,000 need a Class 3 licence
Housie Game Rules apply: at least 70% of card money back as cash prizes paid straight after each game. Class 1 up to $500 per session; Class 2 up to $5,000 in prizes. If the hall has a bar, the venue's licence covers it.
Make more from it
$200-700 (estimate)
the raffle keeps margin the housie rules cannot
Supper and hot drinks
$100-300 (estimate)
a long evening; players get hungry
Guess the jar on the door table
$30-100 (estimate)
costs nothing to add
Stack it: on its own, about $1,000. With the 3 priced add-ons above, roughly
$1,700est.
What you can get donated
Venue, food, side-raffle prizes.
Tips
- Treat housie as the draw-card and food plus raffle as the earners.
Watch out for
- Keeping more than 30% of card money.
- Paying prizes later or by voucher.
Housie (bingo) night: checklist
0 of 15 done
Before
On the day
After
Housie Game Rules apply: at least 70% of card money back as cash prizes paid straight after each game. Class 1 up to $500 per session; Class 2 up to $5,000 in prizes. If the hall has a bar, the venue's licence covers it.
Also pairs with: supper/food sales
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide