Licensing

Lottery Licences

Lottery Licensing Requirements

Obtaining a lottery license

Fund-raising is an important financial component for many charitable and not-for profit organizations. The following information will assist those organization's interested in conducting a lottery event. Please note that this information is intended as a guide only and all organizations conducting a lottery event are responsible for ensuring that all events are operated legally and may wish to consult legal counsel before conducting any event.

How do I know if I require a lottery license?

A lottery event may be defined as any event, which has the following three components:

A prize;
A chance (to win the prize); and
Consideration or a fee.

A lottery event exists if money or some other consideration is given for a chance to win a prize.

What kinds of events require a lottery license?

All lottery events require a lottery license in order to be permitted. Lottery events conducted without a license are prohibited by the Criminal Code of Canada. However, there are some games where lottery licenses are not available.

What types of games can a license be issued for?

Municipalities may issue licenses to charitable organizations for the following events only:
Bingo events with prize boards up to $5,500;
Raffles with prizes of up to $50,000;
Break Open Ticket events;
Bazaar gaming events; and
Media Bingo.

What types of games are prohibited?

Card Tournaments (eg. Poker, Texas Hold'em, Blackjack)
Dice Games
Coin Tables
Wheel Games
Sports Pools

Only approved charitable organizations are eligible for lottery licenses. Individuals wishing to conduct a lottery event are not eligible for a lottery license. If your charitable organization is interested in applying for a lottery license an eligibility review must first be conducted.

Forms

Request for Eligibility Review

Application to Conduct a Raffle

Raffle Report Form

Raffle Terms and Conditions

Application for a Blanket Raffle

Blanket Raffle Report Form

Application to Conduct Break Open

Break Open Report Form

Break Open Terms and Conditions

Application to Conduct a Bingo

Bingo Report Form