Equal contributions, allocation totals and penny rounding

Work in whole pennies

The basic total is entrant count multiplied by the equal contribution. Costs are then subtracted to give the balance used for the three allocations. Amounts accept no more than two decimal places, so the calculation can work in whole pennies rather than inventing fractions of a penny. Costs must be non-negative and cannot exceed the hypothetical total. A blank cost field is not silently treated as zero: enter zero explicitly.

The entrant count must be a whole number from one to 9,999. That limit is a software input boundary, not a permitted participation limit. The contribution and cost limits are likewise technical safeguards, not recommended stakes, approved costs or legal thresholds. Zero contribution is allowed for arithmetic exploration; that does not classify the underlying arrangement as a free draw.

Compare two clearly fictional drafts

Suppose twelve hypothetical people each contribute £5. The arithmetic total is £60. With zero proposed costs, a 50/30/20 allocation gives £30, £18 and £12. These amounts are example budget lines, not an advertised prize fund or an invitation to participate. The website has no corresponding event, tickets, entrants or funds.

Now suppose eight hypothetical people each contribute £2.50. The total is £20. Deducting an assumed £2 of costs leaves £18. Applying the same percentages produces £9, £5.40 and £3.60. The calculator does not decide whether those costs are reasonable or permitted. Any proposed deduction needs contextual review and transparent treatment in the actual plan, if an activity proceeds at all.

• Compare assumptions before comparing totals.
• Never present a draft allocation as money already held.

Validate percentages and expose the remainder

All three percentages must sum to exactly 100. A 50/30/19 split fails because one per cent is missing; a 60/30/20 split fails because it allocates more than the available balance. Negative shares and values above 100 are rejected. A zero percentage is valid when the other allocations account for the whole balance. Percentage precision is limited to two decimal places.

Each calculated allocation is rounded down to a whole penny. The worksheet then displays the unallocated remainder separately. For example, a fictional balance of £0.03 split 50/30/20 produces £0.01, £0.00 and £0.00, leaving £0.02 unallocated. It does not secretly give the leftover pennies to allocation A. Any real rounding policy would need to be decided, reviewed and communicated in advance.

Export assumptions without participant data

The TXT download includes the entered count, amounts, percentages, calculated allocations, any remainder and a rules-question checklist. It contains no participant list and is not proof of collection, donation or payment. Changing an input recalculates the result; invalid figures clear the valid export state and disable download until corrected. Keep downloaded drafts clearly labelled and distinguish them from any later approved records.

The worksheet keeps figures in page memory, not browser storage. Reloading resets them to the example. The separate information-enquiry form is not needed to use the tool. Do not put personal details into arithmetic fields or use this page as an accounting system. Review the original Gambling Commission guidance and obtain qualified advice before turning a numerical plan into any actual activity.