Under Canada’s Criminal Code, charitable and religious organizations may operate charitable gaming activities to raise funds for the charity if they are licensed by the provincial government. Only legal charitable and religious organizations whose proceeds are used for charitable or religious purposes will be issued a licence, and they must meet several requirements.

Charitable gaming licences may be issued by provincial gaming commissions, provincial departments or ministries, or by municipalities. This is determined by where the event will be located, the type of event, such as bingos, raffles and lottery schemes, and the expected prize amount. Different lottery schemes may require different licences.

Eligibility requirements

Each application is different, and eligibility requirements depend on provincial legislation and regulations. However, the following common mandatory requirements exist;

• The organization has been determined to be a legal charity as defined by law.
• Organizations must have been in existence for a specific amount of time before being considered eligible for lottery licences (e.g.one year in Ontario, three years Alberta)
• The organization must have a place of business in the province in which the licence is being applied for, demonstrate that it is established to provide charitable services in that province and use proceeds for objects or purposes which benefit residents.

How to apply for a licence

Visit your provincial or territorial gaming authority for specific information on:

• Eligibility requirements for the organization, often a separate application
• The type of gaming licences available and which authority to apply to
• All eligibility requirements for the specific licence
• How to make an application
• The fees involved

AB:     Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis

BC:     Government of British Columbia, Gambling and Fundraising

MB:     Manitoba Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba

NB:     New Brunswick Justice and Public Safety, Charitable Lottery Licences and Permits

NL:      Newfoundland and Labrador, Charitable Lottery Licences

NWT:  Northwest Territories Municipal and Community Affairs

NS:     Nova Scotia Gaming Control and Registration

NT:      Nunavut Consumer Affairs

ON:     Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

PE:      Prince Edward Island Justice and Public Safety Lottery Licence

QC:     Quebec Lottery Scheme Rules

SK:     Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority

YT:      Yukon Charitable Gaming Licensing

Refer to 5603 Provincial gaming laws for more information on legislation.

								
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