The Washington Nationals baseball club introduced its 50-50 raffle in September 2014. The first winner took home $3,087.50.
Until recently, the only people able to take part in the raffle were those who attended Nationals games at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.
Now, though, anyone living in the District of Columbia can buy Nationals 50-50 raffle tickets online. Tickets are available in packs of three ($5), 10 ($10) or 60 ($20). Budweiser is the sponsor of the raffle, which Washington Nationals Philanthropies operates.
The team holds a raffle during every Nats home game during the MLB season.
About the Nationals 50-50 raffle
A 50-50 raffle is uncomplicated. Tickets are sold for the raffle, and the person with the winning number splits the pot and gets half of the total sales amount with whoever is running the raffle.
With the Nationals, the winner shares the prize with Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable foundation of the Nationals and an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
The Nationals raffle opens approximately three hours before the scheduled first pitch, and tickets are on sale at the stadium and online through the middle of the seventh inning. Fans can buy raffle tickets during home games at kiosks at sections 108, 118, 138, 203, and 223, or from roving sellers. Those who wish to participate in the raffle, but who aren’t at the game, can purchase tickets online at nats5050.com.
The Ballpark app is another option to buy tickets at Nationals Park. Fans must be 18 or older to purchase them.
The winning number for the 50-50 raffle will be posted at the end of the raffle on the Washington Nationals Philanthropies website and on the raffle hotline at (202) 640-7444. Ticket holders can also email [email protected], or check Twitter and Instagram for the winning number.
How Nationals Philanthropies uses 50-50 proceeds
The 50-50 raffle has raised $2.1 million for charity since 2017.
The highest jackpot for a single raffle came during the 2019 World Series. That amount hit six figures and reached $119,000. During a recent four-game homestand with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Nationals Philanthropies split $90,120 with four winners.
Some charities the Nationals have worked with during the 2021 season are Folds of Honor, Washington DC Police Foundation, TAPS, and Food on the Stove. All are local nonprofits that support first responders and military members.
What the Nationals did during pandemic
The Nationals had no fans in attendance for the 2020 season because of COVID-19 restrictions.
However, the baseball club wanted its fans to stay active in the community and encouraged them to donate online.
Those donations were split evenly between Nationals Philanthropies and various local nonprofits.
The Nats’ 50-50 raffle is now available to fans both in the park and at home.