“LaRifamos” platform connects people who want to raffle a product with users interested in participating in the raffle.
A group of Systems Engineering students from the ORT University of Uruguay created a platform to carry out digital raffles based on blockchain technology. the name of this platform is LaRifamos, in Spanish.
This is an initiative that connects people who want to raffle a product with users interested in participating in the raffle.
Another advantage for the users offered by the platform is the high probability of winning the raffles thanks to the transparency of blockchain technology.
Through this platform, people can sell products through a raffle system. Users can buy and participate in digital raffles staying at home and without making much effort.
Currently, LaRifamos has more than 2,000 active users. Although not everyone buys numbers for raffles, they could also have the chance to win the item offered. On this platform, it is possible to raffle from a good to services or apartment rentals.
According to Rodrigo Stratta, who is one of the students who participated in the project, the first raffles have not exceeded 250 numbers yet.
The raffle numbers are not very expensive, compared with the cost of the prizes that will be raffled. So far, raffle participants have not paid more than USD 200 for a number to participate in the raffle.
Stratta believes that, since the platform is not massive yet, the probabilities of winning are quite high compared to a traditional raffle.
About the Project
LaRifamos platform was created as a final project of the ORT university students and allows selling products through a raffle circuit.
The idea came after a market study showed that there were no alternatives to finance those looking to sell a good. It also sought to cover the need for capitalization of those who wish to achieve goods of high value.
The young researchers were inspired by the case of a French woman who last 2018 did not find buyers for a castle she needed to sell. Because of this, the woman decided to sell the castle through a raffle system.
“After reading the news, we thought about creating a similar model here and generating a platform where people could do the same. We started doing commercial validation. We met with the National Directorate of Lotteries of Uruguay and we saw that there was an opportunity that it was viable and that people were willing to buy”, said Rodrigo Stratta.
How the Platform Operates
The platform has a web application, where raffles are displayed and buyers make the purchase of numbers. It also has a back-office so that users who are administrators can configure the system. These systems are deployed as cloud services, using a rest API for communication with the backend. Acquired raffle numbers are sent digitally; therefore, they cannot be changed by third parties.
To comply with the laws of Uruguay, the project records all the raffles approved by the Lotteries Agency, the regulatory entity. The draw is made with a notary public present, according to the laws stipulated in the country.
The platform charges a commission of almost 15% of the value of the sale made. Also, notaries supervise the objects to be raffled.
Until the moment, the platform has held five events. He has raffled video game consoles and even a trip to Buenos Aires with two nights of stay. To celebrate 2,000 active users, the platform has an active draw for a free Smart TV. These raffles are made regardless of the number of numbers sold.
This is the first case of blockchain technology in the sector of chance in Uruguay. However, in this country blockchain has been used to track gluten-free products, in cannabis traceability, and also to reduce the operating costs of a company in the energy sector.
All these companies in Uruguay claim to have relied on blockchain technology due to the transparency that characterizes it and the reliability it provides to users.
By María Rodríguez
