Rules of Play

Act 305 of 2025.  This Act permits universities to conduct raffles to support their student-athletes and athletics programs. These raffles may be operated by the university or by a non-profit 501c3 affiliated organization. For Southern Arkansas University, that would be the SAU Foundation Inc. The General Assembly found that it is in the best interests of the institutions of higher education to conduct raffles as it helps to raise awareness of the university, attract additional student-athletes, and support the student-athletes. Guidance is provided for how the raffles are to be conducted. 

Act 839 of 2025. This act amends the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act to permit compensation of student-athletes for the commercial use of their publicity rights (name, image, likeness), which may be exclusive or non-exclusive. This is very permissive legislation and allows payments to student-athletes above the scholarship awarded.

A partnership between SAU and the SAU Foundation is a practical and efficient option to accomplish this implementation and operation. The funds raised would provide additional financial support for each sport and offer additional options to provide resources for student-athletes: options could include better equipment, enhanced scholarships, and other specific needs for the support of student-athletes. This policy implements the findings of the Arkansas General Assembly in passing Act 305 of 2025:

The General Assembly made these findings as reasons:

 (1) It is in the public interest for an institution of higher education and its affiliated nonprofit organizations to conduct raffles for educational, charitable, or philanthropic purposes; and 

 (2) The use of raffle funds by an institution of higher education and its affiliated nonprofit organizations for the purposes provided in this chapter will support philanthropic purposes by: 

A) Raising the public image of the institution of higher education, which will attract more student-athletes and other students to the institution of higher education's educational programs; 

(B) Supporting student-athletes and providing financial resources to advance the educational endeavors of the student-athletes; and 

(C) Increasing the exposure of the institution of higher education to the public, which will attract additional financial support for academic programs at the institution of higher education.

Overview

The Mulerider Sports Raffle (“Raffle”) is overseen by SAU. The Raffle will be administered by a company selected by SAU Athletic Department. The Raffle, including all tickets, transactions, participants, and raffle winners are subject to this Official Policy, Rules, and Regulations (Policy), and to all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act, codified at Ark. Code Ann. § 23-120-101, et seq, as well as any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and all other applicable rules and regulations adopted by any regulatory and/or enforcement agencies in the State of Arkansas having jurisdiction or authority with respect to the Raffle.

Partnership

            The SAU Athletic Department is responsible for all aspects of the operation of the Raffle except the accounting of the funds which rest with the SAU Vice President for Finance and the SAUF accounting staff.

Qualification to be a participant in the Raffle

A “participant” is an individual who has purchased a raffle ticket (“ticket”) in compliance with all this Policy. All Participants must be legal residents of the United States who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry to purchase a Ticket, participate in the Raffle, or claim a prize. The SAU Athletic Department has the right to request valid photo identification from any person who wants to enter the Raffle and have age verification checks in place online to validate information and eligibility. Raffle is void where prohibited by law, rule, or regulation; all federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. SAU Athletic Department employees (including part-time employees) and immediate family members (children and spouse) are not eligible to participate in the Raffle. For a participant to enter the Raffle, the participant must be in the State of Arkansas at the time a ticket is purchased. Any online purchase or entry is void outside of the State of Arkansas. All Raffles are held in conjunction with a SAU sporting event. Participants do not need a ticket to or attend the sporting event to purchase a ticket.

Raffle Times 

The period of time permitted for the sale of Raffle Tickets (“Raffle Period”) will begin and end at a time publicly designated in advance of the applicable sporting event. The Raffle Period will close at a time during or after the applicable SAU sporting event for that Raffle Period as stated in the Raffle Period announcement. All Ticket sales are final and must be complete before the end of the respective Raffle Period.

Tickets

There will be one (1) Raffle during each Raffle Period. Tickets may be sold in person at venues operated by the SAU Athletic Department during pre-determined SAU sporting events that fall within the Raffle Period. Tickets will be sold online at MuleriderRaffle.com during the Raffle Period. To purchase, visit MuleriderRaffle.com, or a designated in-person location at the game during the Raffle Period and follow the directions to participate and purchase a Ticket. All Ticket purchase requests are subject to verification by the SAU Athletic Department, and no sale is final until the Ticket purchase order is accepted by SAU Athletic Department in Arkansas. When purchasing one or more Tickets through the Website, the End User License Agreement or the terms and conditions governing your interaction with the Website, SAU Privacy Policy, and any service provider terms and conditions pertaining to Ticket purchases made through the website, shall apply in addition to these Official Rules and Regulations. Tickets may be purchased with a credit or debit card with United States Dollars (“USD”) only. Credit card and debit card purchases may not exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per transaction. Each Ticket is a receipt for the Participant and will reflect the number of entries for the Raffle purchased in a single transaction. Each Ticket will include unique Raffle numbers for each entry purchased; Participants may purchase as many Tickets as they wish, subject to availability. Each ticket entry uses a single number, multi-chance model. Ticket availability is at the sole discretion of the SAU Athletic Department.

Transfer and Resale of Tickets

All sales of Tickets are final, and no refunds will be made under any circumstances. A Ticket is not transferable or assignable from its designated Participant to any other person. SAUF or SAU are not responsible for any lost or stolen Ticket(s). It is the sole responsibility of each Participant to maintain possession of the Ticket(s) purchased.

Prize

The Participant with the winning Ticket as determined by the SAU Athletic Department (“Raffle Winner”) shall be entitled to receive, upon compliance with these Official Rules and Regulations a designated prize amount or division of net proceeds of a Raffle (“Prize”). SAU Athletic Department shall publicly announce the Raffle Prize amount or division of net proceeds from the Raffle prior to the sale of the Raffle Tickets to be held in conjunction with a SAU sporting event. For cash prizes, net proceeds shall be the gross proceeds raised during the Raffle Period less any applicable taxes and fees. The Prize is non-transferable and non-assignable to any other person including relatives or friends. No substitution, transfer or otherwise of the Prize is permitted by the Raffle Winner. Any attempt to transfer, assign, or sell the Prize may result in a forfeiture of the Prize, as determined in the SAU Athletic Department’s sole discretion. A Raffle Prize that is unclaimed by a Raffle Winner within one hundred and twenty (120) days of the Raffle shall be retained and transferred to support SAU athletic and educational mission.

Tax Implications 

Each Participant acknowledges that the IRS has taken the position that amounts paid for chances to participate in raffles, lotteries, or similar programs are not gifts and, therefore, a Ticket does not qualify as a tax-deductible purchase or charitable contribution. The winner will be subject to any and all tax withholding requirements established by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and/or the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Federal and state withholding laws are subject to change without notice. The withholding laws in effect at the time each Prize is claimed will be followed. Participants agree to assume all responsibility for any local, state, or Federal taxes, fees, or withholdings associated with the Raffle and, if the Raffle Winner, the Prize. Participants are advised to consult his/her own tax advisor(s) with respect to the liabilities that may arise from winning a Prize in the Raffle.

Drawing/Odds

Odds of winning are based upon the total number of Raffle tickets purchased during the Raffle Period. After the Raffle Period has closed, subject to any technical, software, or other unanticipated circumstance, at the end of the applicable Raffle Period one (1) eligible Raffle Ticket that was purchased either in person, on the website will be selected at random and announced (“Drawing”); the holder of that ticket will be the Raffle Winner. The winning Raffle Ticket may be announced at the location of the game, on the website, and/or other means at the sole discretion of the SAU Athletic Department. The decisions of SAU Athletic Department are final and binding on all matters relating to the Raffle. 

Claiming a Prize

To claim a Prize, the Participant who possesses the Ticket that corresponds with the winning Ticket numbers from the Drawing must contact SAU Athletic Department and present the winning Ticket within one hundred and twenty (120) days of the drawing. A Raffle Prize that is unclaimed by a Raffle Winner within one hundred and twenty (120) days of the Raffle shall be retained by and paid to support its athletic and educational mission. Each Raffle Winner must provide SAU Athletic Department with all information required to claim a Prize. The Raffle Winner will receive a Prize-Acceptance Affidavit and Release (“Affidavit”) in the form approved by SAU which must be executed and returned prior to receipt of the Prize. In the event a Raffle Winner: (a) does not notify SAU Athletic Department within one hundred and twenty (120) days of the Drawing; (b) is ruled ineligible for any reason; (c) refuses the Prize; or (d) does not return an executed Affidavit the Prize will be forfeited and will be retained as a donation. SAU has no obligation to contact Participants or Raffle Winners in connection with the Raffle. All Prizes will be delivered within thirty (30) days of the Raffle Winner delivering the winning Ticket, executed Affidavit, and all other required documents to SAU. For security and safety reasons, no cash payments will be made to any Raffle Winner.

Release/Disclaimer

By entering, each Participant agrees to release, hold harmless and indemnify SAUF, SAU, and their respective divisions, departments, board members, officials, employees, volunteers, agents and representatives, from and against any and all claims, liability, injury, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), damage, loss or causes of action (however named or described) that may occur, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from: (i) Participant’s participation in the Raffle; (ii) the delivery, mis-delivery or failure to deliver, receipt, acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the Prize awarded in the Raffle; (iii) the use of a Raffle Winner’s name, photograph and/or likeness as permitted herein, including, without limitation, claims based on publicity rights, defamation and/or invasion of privacy; (iv) any claim of violation or infringement of the rights of any third party, and/or (v) any travel or activity related to the receipt, use or misuse of the Prize, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death and/or property damage.

Additionally, SAUF and SAU are not responsible for electronic communications that are undeliverable as a result of any form of active or passive filtering of any kind, or insufficient space in Participant’s e-mail account to receive e-mail messages. SAUF or SAU is not responsible or liable to any Participant or Raffle Winner or any person claiming through such Participant or Raffle Winner for failure to supply the Prize or any part thereof or inability to continue the Raffle, due to any reason or cause beyond the control of SAUF or SAU, including without limitation, any act of God, severe weather, cancellation of the underlying SAU sporting event, epidemic, pandemic or other public health emergency, any action, regulation, order or request by any governmental entity, quasi-governmental entity or SAU’s governing athletic body (whether or not the action, regulations, order or request proves to be invalid), equipment failure, threatened terrorist acts, terrorist acts, kidnapping, air raid, blackout, act of public enemy, earthquake, war (declared or undeclared), fire, flood, epidemic, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute, lockout, work slowdown or strike (whether legal or illegal), labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, vandalism, or any other cause beyond the control of the SAUF and SAU and its divisions.

The SAUF and SAU will not be responsible or otherwise liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages related to the Raffle, further, the SAUF and SAU accept no responsibility for any additional expenses, omissions, delays, or re-routing resulting from any acts of any government or authority.

Publicity Release

By participating in the Raffle or accepting a Prize as a Raffle Winner, each Participant hereby irrevocably and perpetually grants to SAU, and their designees a worldwide license to use, publish, reproduce, create derivative works of, distribute and publicly display any images or likenesses taken or captured of the Participant in connection with their participating in the Raffle or receiving a Prize (“Images”), in any form, media or content which now or hereafter exists, for advertising, promotional or any other commercial purposes as well as non-commercial purposes. Each Participant waives any compensation for any use of such Images. Each Participant hereby releases and waives any claims, demands, damages, losses, liabilities and causes of action arising from the SAUF’s, or its designee’s, uses of the Images, including, without limitation, any claims for defamation, libel, invasion of privacy, publicity, personality, or exploitation of the Participant’s name or likeness.

Governing Law

The Raffle shall be governed solely by the laws of the State of Arkansas without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rule of any jurisdiction. Any claims regarding the Raffle must be brought exclusively in the State of Arkansas in Columbia County Circuit Court, and each Participant hereby consents to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts for purposes of any such action. The Raffle is void outside the United States and where prohibited by law. Each Participant agrees that: (a) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action not waived arising out of or in connection with the Raffle, or any Prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resorting to any form of class action; (b) any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Raffle, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (c) under no circumstances will Participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Participant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, exemplary, incidental, and consequential damages, and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.

Disqualification

 SAU reserve the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any Participant or person that (a) tampers or attempts to tamper with the ticketing process or the operation of the Raffle; (b) re-sells their Raffle Ticket; (c) cancels a payment transaction or does not otherwise lawfully pay for a Raffle Ticket; (d) uses or attempts to use a Raffle Ticket or SAU’s or SAUF’s marks, logos or other intellectual property to fundraise or promote a business, service or product; (e) attempts to counterfeit a Raffle Ticket or otherwise mislead or defraud SAUF or SAU; (f) violates any of the Official Rules and Regulations or other applicable terms and conditions incorporated hereunder, or (g) acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person at or in relation to a SAU sport event.   SAU reserves the right to, at its sole discretion, cancel, suspend and/or modify the Raffle or these Official Rules and Regulations or disqualify any individual, Participant, or Raffle Ticket for purposes of protecting the integrity of the Raffle or addressing changes in business operations or other circumstances, to the extent allowed under applicable law.  ANY ATTEMPT BY A PARTICIPANT OR ANY OTHER PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE, APP OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE RAFFLE IS A VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES AND OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SAU RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

The following FAQ is provided as further explanation of the Mulerider Raffle. It is not a part of the official Policy.

Frequently Asked Raffle Questions

Please contact the SAU Athletic Department at muleriderraffle.com or in person at the Athletics Department, 100 East University, Magnolia, Arkansas 

What is the Mulerider Raffle?

The Mulerider Raffle is a charitable initiative conducted by SAU Athletics to support the Southern Arkansas University Department of Athletics and its student-athletes. Raffles will be held in conjunction with Mulerider sporting events and offers fans another exciting way to support Mulerider Athletics while enjoying the excitement of intercollegiate athletics.

The net proceeds from ticket sales during each raffle period contribute to a prize pool. A portion of the pool (50% of net proceeds) is awarded to the winner selected through a random drawing. The remaining proceeds serve as a donation to benefit SAU Athletics and student athletes. Every ticket purchase is electronically recorded, with real-time updates available on MuleriderRaffle.com fans can track the impact of their contributions.

Who can conduct a Sports Raffle?

On March 13, 2025, the Governor signed into law the Arkansas Sports Raffle Act which authorizes higher education institutions and their affiliated non-profit entities to conduct raffles for philanthropic and educational purposes pursuant to Arkansas Constitutional Amendment 84. An “affiliated nonprofit organization” is an organization (1) established by a college or university within the state or an authorized affiliate; (2) created for the purpose of raising funds for the college or university’s athletic program; (3) approved for tax-exempt status by the IRS; and (4) in existence for at least 5 years prior to conducting the raffle.

How much do the tickets cost?

• 5 tickets for $ 10
• 25 tickets for $ 25
• 100 tickets for $ 100
• 300 tickets for $ 200

How many tickets can I purchase?

There is not a limit on the total number of raffle tickets that can be purchased. However, there is a maximum of $250 per transaction on raffle tickets purchased via credit and/or debit card.

Who is eligible to buy the tickets?

You must be 18 years or older and located in the state of Arkansas at the time of purchase to be eligible to participate. You will be required to verify your age at the time of ticket purchase.

Where can I buy the Mulerider Raffle tickets?

Raffle tickets can be purchased in-person at the sporting venue (when in venue sales are available), online at MuleriderRaffle.com, prior to the announced closing of ticket sales.

How do I know my raffle numbers?

You will receive a confirmation with your raffle numbers available by email if purchased online and by printed receipt if purchased in-person at the sporting venue (when in venue sales are available).

When is the winning ticket drawn and posted?

For each raffle conducted, the timing of the winning number being drawn will be announced at the launch of the Raffle. In most instances, the winning number will be announced at or near the end of the sporting event or within five (5) business days from the time that the raffle closes. The winning ticket number will also be posted by the SAU Athletic Department online at MuleriderRaffle.com as soon as it's available.

If I win, how do I receive my winnings?

To claim the jackpot prize, a winner must contact the in-person at 100 East University, Magnolia, AR  or by email at Raffle@saumag.edu com and provide proof of their winning ticket during the claim period—no later than 120 days after the winning raffle number is posted.

Are my winnings taxed?

Yes, the winner will be subject to any tax withholding requirements established by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and/or the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. The SAUF and/or SAU will complete and file IRS form W-2G and withhold Federal income tax from the winner’s proceeds in accordance with applicable guidelines and regulations. Any applicable state taxes and fees will also be withheld at the applicable rate.

Do I need to be present to win?

No, you do not need to be present at the event or be an Arkansas resident.  However, you do need to be physically located in the State of Arkansas at the time you purchase a raffle ticket.

What are the odds of winning?

The odds of winning the prize are based on the number of tickets sold for each individual raffle.

How are winning raffle tickets selected?

The winning raffle ticket number will be selected by (to be determined) certified electronic random number generator to ensure the fairness, security, credibility, and integrity of the electronic raffle system.

Will there be multiple raffles or chances to win a prize during a game?

No. Pursuant to Arkansas law, only one (1) raffle may be conducted per game or sporting event between the University and an opposing college or university.

What if I am located in Arkansas, but cannot seem to purchase raffle tickets online?

If you are physically located within the State of Arkansas but cannot purchase raffle tickets online due to your location, you may have selected “never share my location” in your browser. Please see below for instructions to allow sharing your location so you can purchase raffle tickets online.