Rules
- Must be 18 years or older to participate.
- You do not need to be present to win major prizes. All prizes must be claimed by Sept. 30, 2025.
- Employees of the NIC Foundation and their immediate households are not eligible to enter.
- All proceeds support student success and educational excellence at NIC; however, raffle ticket purchases are not a tax-deductible contribution under current IRS regulations.
- Prizes will not be awarded in cash.
- All tax withholdings are the sole responsibility of prize winners and due prior to prize being transferred. Winners are also responsible for applicable taxes, license, registration, insurance and/or fees associated with prizes won.
- No fewer than 4,000 and no more than 5,000 tickets will be sold. If fewer than 4,000 tickets are sold, all ticket purchases will be refunded.
- The official drawing is scheduled to be held virtually at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
Eligibility Requirements
- Due to federal and state regulations, all raffle ticket purchases must take place in the state of Idaho.
- NIC Foundation cannot mail tickets outside the state of Idaho.
- Tickets can be purchased at Idaho ticket outlets. NIC Foundation also offers mail, online and phone orders as a convenience to Idaho supporters only. Ticket requests and reservations do not constitute the sale of a ticket until verified and processed by an NIC Foundation representative.
- Online reservations require an Idaho billing/mailing address and must be made with a device IP address within the state of Idaho.
- Ticketholders must be 18 years or older.
- Employees of the NIC Foundation and immediate households are not eligible to participate.
- By requesting a ticket, purchaser affirms that their purchase is being conducted in the state of Idaho and meets all eligibility requirements. If purchaser violates such representation and warranty, he/she indemnifies the NIC Foundation.
- A ticket purchased by an ineligible person is void and cannot be a winning ticket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tickets are $150 each and there are 5,000 available. There are no limits on how many tickets you can purchase. The drawing will take place as long as a minimum of 4,000 tickets are sold. Tickets have sold out every year for 30 years.
Only 5,000 tickets are available. The drawing will take place as long as a minimum of 4,000 tickets are sold. Tickets have sold out every year for 31 years.
Yes, you can buy single or multiple tickets with friends and split the winnings. Be sure to include every participant's name on the ticket. The names listed will have legal rights to any winnings. The details involved in splitting the winnings will be the sole responsibility of the winners.
Due to gaming regulations, only Idaho residents can reserve tickets online.
Only Idaho residents can order tickets via mail or by phone. Tickets are usually processed and mailed within two weeks of receipt of payment.
Anyone can participate in the raffle, but tickets must be purchased in Idaho and will not be mailed across state lines due to charitable gaming regulations. To purchase by phone, online or mail, you must physically be in Idaho at the time of purchase and have the tickets mailed to your Idaho address. If you don't meet those requirements, please purchase a ticket at one of the Idaho ticket outlets listed. All other community outlets will be open spring of 2024.
No, you do not need to be present to win any major prizes of the 2024 drawing.
The 2025 house is located at 1680 W Alsea Loop in Greenstone's Montrose neighborhood in Post Falls, Idaho. Open house dates are to be determined.
Winners will be drawn at 7 p.m. July 9, 2025, and will be phoned immediately after the event. Names of winners are also listed on the website and on a recording at (208) 769-3271 after the drawing.
Winners will be drawn at 7 p.m. July 10, 2024 and will be phoned immediately after the event. Names of winners are also listed on the website and on a recording at (208) 769-3271 after the drawing.
Tickets are limited at 5,000. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and typically sell out by the beginning of May.
Visit the Tickets page for current Idaho ticket outlets.
The Really BIG Raffle is NIC Foundation’s largest annual public fundraiser, and all proceeds support student success and educational excellence throughout NIC.
No, the IRS has ruled that a raffle ticket purchase is not a tax-deductible donation.
The winner must take possession of the house as soon as possible after the drawing, but no later than Sept. 30, 2025. In order to transfer the title, the winner must satisfy federal income tax responsibilities related to winning the home. Just prior to the drawing, the NIC Foundation has the home appraised by a third party to establish the prize value. Prizes are considered income and are subject to federal and state income tax. Taxes are based on the value of the prize and in some cases on the winner’s income tax rate and may vary for each individual based on their current situation.
For the house and the car, the current federal tax burden is 24% of the value of the prize. For example, a home with an appraised value of $520,000 will create a tax due of $124,800. A car with a value of $32,000 would create a tax due of $7,680. This amount can generally be financed by the winner. At closing, the NIC Foundation pays closing fees, property taxes and dues through the closing date. Once the home is transferred, the winner is responsible for all future taxes and expenses typical of home ownership.
Join our mailing list! We send out two brochures each year that detail the aspects of the Really BIG Raffle. If you have purchased a ticket in the past two years, you will automatically receive these mailings.
For 2025, the house is the grand prize followed by three major prizes. The first prize is a 2025 New vehicle valued at $32,000. The second prize is a home furnishings gift card with a $2,000 value. The third prize is a smoker and bbq meat package valued at $1,500.
There aren’t bonus prizes this year as the drawing will be held virtually.