Lottery Licences

Laurentian Valley Township Licences approximately 65 charitable organizations, each year, to raise funds through various lottery schemes. Below is a menu for the various Lottery games licensed by the Municipality. In each section you will find the information you need to provide and the rules that must be followed to be licensed.

How to apply for a Lottery Licence

The province licenses the following events:

Bingo events with prize boards over $5,500.00
Super jackpot games
Ticket raffle lotteries for total prizes over $50,000.00
Lotteries held in conjunction with another gaming event licensed by the provincial office including break open tickets at bingo events
Provincial break open ticket lotteries
All monte carlo events
All lottery schemes conducted in unorganized territories
All lottery schemes at a designated Fair or Exhibition or at a Place of Amusement

Which lottery schemes does LV licence?

A Municipality may issue licenses to conduct the following lottery schemes:

Bingo events with prize boards $5,500.00 and under
Media bingo events
Ticket raffle lotteries for total prizes $50,000.00 and under
All break open ticket lotteries not licensed by the provincial office

All applicants must complete a Lottery Questionnaire.

Download the questionnaire

How does my organization apply for a lottery licence?

Determine the type of lottery scheme your organization intends to conduct
Obtain the appropriate application form from our office or download them below in our Forms section
Complete the form according to the instructions on the form and the policies provided by the municipal office or as set out in the guide for that lottery event.

Do I have to include anything with the application?

In addition to the materials required by the application, the applicant should provide the following information or documents with their first application

A copy of its articles of incorporation or constitution and / or by-laws (your governing documents).
A copy of its budget and/or financial statements for the preceding and coming years.
Any other information that will assist in determining the charitable nature of the objects and purposes.
This could include an annual report, charitable number for income-tax purposes, the fact that it meets the reporting requirements of the Charities Accounting Act.

The proposed use of proceeds must be consistent with the primary objects and purposes of the organization which must be of a nature consistent with at least one of the four classifications of charitable purposes.

How will my application be evaluated?

The following questions may be used to determine the eligibility of the applicant

Does the organization qualify as a charitable or religious organization?
Is the organization established to provide charitable services in Ontario and use proceeds for objects or purposes which benefit Ontario Residents?
Does the organization restrict its mandate to any segment of the community?
Does a significant portion of the community benefit by the fund raising of the applicant?
Is the applicant properly organized such that it is separate from any other organization? ie legally, financially, organizationally.
Has the applicant been in operation for at least one year and have a proven charitable mandate? If not, is it ineligible.
Are there at least three persons who will assume full responsibility for the operation and conduct of the event
What will the proceeds of the licensed event be used for and is the intended use consistent with the classification?
Does the organization have a place of business in Ontario?

What type of organizations are not charitable for lottery licensing purposes?

Types of organizations which cannot be considered charitable include;

social clubs
professional associations, unions, employee groups
elected representative groups including municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments
government ministries, agents or bodies
political lobby groups
political parties
adult hobby groups
private sports clubs(eg. golf, curling)
adult sports teams

If one of these groups wish to raise funds to donate to charities, it must become recognized as a charitable organization with an established mandate, either through incorporation or by constitution and by-laws, and apply for lottery licences to be used for projects or donations that are consistent with its charitable mandate.

Charitable Gaming in Ontario

What is Charitable Gaming and how is it regulated in Ontario?

Charitable gaming refers to lottery schemes permitted by a license under the Criminal Code of Canada. Typically these may include bingos, raffles and break open tickets held by charitable and religious organizations. Charitable organizations are regulated by licensing policies and the terms and the terms and conditions of the licences issued by the province or the municipalities under the authority of an Order in Council. The commercial sector of the charitable gaming industry is regulated by the Gaming Services Act, 1992 and Regulations proclaimed in force February 1, 1993.

Who can get a licence to conduct a lottery scheme?

Canada's Criminal Code permits charitable and religious organizations to conduct a lottery scheme to raise funds pursuant to a licence being issued. Organizations must have a demonstrated charitable or religious mandate to qualify. The courts have determined that the term "charitable" refers to organizations which provide programs for:

the relief of poverty;
the advancement of education;
the advancement of religion;
other charitable purposes beneficial to the community.

The following pre-requisites are mandatory to be considered eligible for a lottery licence:

Organizations must have been in existence for at least one year before being considered eligible for lottery licences.
The organization must have a place of business in Ontario, demonstrate that it is established to provide charitable services in Ontario and use proceeds for objects or purposes which benefit Ontario residents.

The primary purposes of an organization are determined by considering:

the mandate of the organization as set out in it's incorporation documents or documents stating the organizations objects
the objects of the organization as described in its application for licence
the services which have actually been provided by the organization to the community

What types of charitable and religious organizations are eligible?

The relief of poverty

This includes:

the sick and dying
disabled persons
the homeless
the victims of crime
rehabilitating young offenders and parolees

Funds may be provided to individuals or families where the relief is a short-term or one-time payment intended to relieve an exceptional or unusual condition or circumstance. (eg. helping a family whose house has burnt down).

The advancement of education

To be eligible, an organization must provide public programs which:

are geared to scholastic and vocational training for individuals
advance a recognized field of knowledge which leads to an accredited degree, diploma or certificate, and
do not include professional development

Examples of organizations that could be eligible:

elementary and secondary public and Roman Catholic separate schools
accredited colleges and universities
private schools registered with Revenue Canada as a charitable organization
parent / teacher associations or other groups which are non-profit entities and which support one of the above types of institutions
scholarship or bursary funds registered with Revenue Canada as a charitable organization

The advancement of religion

Religious organizations must demonstrate that programs and services assist in the delivery of religious services and programs to the community. A religious body is considered charitable when its activities serve religious purposes for the public good. Other activities that advance religion include;

organizing and providing religious instruction, and performing pastoral and missionary work; and
establishing and maintaining buildings for worship and other religious use.

Any purpose beneficial to the community

To qualify an organization must demonstrate that:

it is operated an a not-for-profit basis, and its purposes include charitable or religious objects,
its services are offered to significant portion of the public, and
the proposed use of proceeds are consistent with its mandate

Eligible organizations include those with mandates in:

culture and arts
health and welfare
physical education
community sport
youth sports where the majority of players are under 18
service to the community (service clubs)

Nevada - Break Open Ticket Lottery

The Municipality licenses eligible charities to conduct Break Open Ticket Lotteries in the Municipality. The Municipality currently has the following charities licensed in the following retail outlets:

Alice & Fraser Minor Sports at Hamilton's Convenience Centre
Kiwanis Club of Pembroke at Canadian Tire Pembroke

If your charity has found an outlet and you would like to apply for a license, please review the previous information on eligibility.

Navada Policies

A charitable or religious organization may be licensed to sell break open tickets from only one (1) location in the Municipality.
The above does not preclude an organization from being part of a bingo sponsors association which sells break open tickets during bingo events.
The licensing period for a break open ticket license shall not exceed one (1) year.
The third party location (retail outlet) must be registered under the Gaming Control Act. (Applications available at the office)
Only one break open ticket license may be issued per address or location. However tickets may be sold from more than one container provided they are for the same licensee, same ticket type, and from the same manufacturer. The style of ticket may be different and each style must be sold from a separate container.
Total expenses for the conduct of a break open ticket lottery, including sales commissions or honorariums, cannot exceed those set out in the terms and conditions.
Charitable or religious organizations selling break open tickets from their own premises may sell tickets anywhere in their building.

Lottery Forms

Bingo Forms

Application for a Bingo Permit

Download the application

Bingo Financial Statements

2 required, one for the past full year and the second is a budget for the current year.