St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway review (2026): $100 tickets, odds and taxes

Who it’s for

The St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is for people who want to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and who treat a $100 ticket as a gift that happens to carry a chance of winning a new house. It is not for anyone looking for a free sweepstakes. This is a charity raffle, and there is no free-entry method stated.

That distinction matters because many of the “dream home” promotions people see online are free-entry sweepstakes, such as the HGTV Dream Home. The St. Jude giveaway works differently, and you should know that before you pay.

How it works

St. Jude runs the giveaway as a licensed charity raffle, not a sweepstakes. The organisation is a 501(c)(3). Tickets cost $100, and the giveaway is organised by local market, with 40+ markets listed by state. The top prize is a new house, along with other prizes. Entrants must be 18 or older, or the age of majority, and must be US residents.

Federal and state laws restrict the online sale of tickets, and online reservations are not available in California. If you want to take part, use the official St. Jude page and check the rules for your market, since the prizes and terms are set market by market.

Odds and value

The odds are not published as a number. St. Jude says they are based on the number of tickets sold, so the more tickets in a market, the lower your chance. There is no way to know your odds when you buy.

On value, the honest summary is that the ticket is a donation with a prize attached. All proceeds go directly to St. Jude, according to its page, which means the $100 supports the hospital whether or not you win. That is a reasonable thing to do with money, as long as you are clear that you are making a gift and not placing an investment. Our methodology explains how we score it.

Trust and regulation

St. Jude is a well-known nonprofit, and the raffle is licensed. We did not find a named regulator on the pages we reviewed, and we have no regulatory action or news item against the giveaway in our data. The organisation says all proceeds go directly to St. Jude. The pages we checked give no proceeds total.

The raffle is licensed, and no responsible-play helpline is listed on the pages we checked. If you are worried about how much you are spending, 1-800-GAMBLER is the national number.

Claiming prizes and taxes

Taxes on prizes over $5,000 must be paid before delivery, according to the St. Jude FAQ, and the winner signs an agreement within 10 days. In plain terms, you cannot take possession of a house until the tax is settled, so a winner needs the cash or financing for that bill. We have no tax rate or withholding percentage for the prize, so we give none, and a tax professional can explain your position. Our guides cover how prize taxes work in general.

Entering

There is no free-entry method stated for this giveaway. Entry means buying a $100 ticket, and online reservations are not available in California. That is the main difference from the sweepstakes we review, where a no-purchase route is part of the legal structure. Here, the legal structure is a licensed raffle.

Our take

This is a reputable charity raffle with a clear purpose and a high ticket price. The positives are the sponsor, the licence structure and the fact that all proceeds go to St. Jude. The negatives are the $100 cost, the absence of any free entry and odds that you cannot see in advance. Buy a ticket if you want to give, set the amount you are happy to lose, and do not count on a prize.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free way to enter?

None is stated. It is a licensed charity raffle with $100 tickets, not a sweepstakes.

What are my odds?

St. Jude says the odds are based on the number of tickets sold. No fixed figure is published.

Who pays tax on the house?

Taxes on prizes over $5,000 must be paid before the prize is delivered, according to the St. Jude FAQ.

Where does the money go?

St. Jude says all proceeds go directly to St. Jude.