Lottery Licences

Your organization may be eligible if it:

• has a purpose to provide charitable services to Ontario residents to:
  • relieve poverty           
  • advance religion
  • advance education       
  • benefit the community
• has carried out activities consistent with its charitable purpose for at least one year
• is located in Ontario
• is non-profit or charitable

Some examples include:

• hospitals
• service clubs
• youth activities or sports
• arts or culture
• schools

Types of organizations which cannot be considered charitable include;

• social clubs

• professional associations, unions, and 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 (e.g. golf, curling)

• adult sports teams 

• Completed licensing questionnaire
  
• A copy of your letters patent
• A copy of your constitution and by-laws
• A copy of your budget for the current year
• A copy of your financial statement for the previous fiscal year (audited, where applicable)
• List of Board of Directors including their names, titles, and contact information
• Your latest report to the public guardian and trustee
• Your charitable number for income tax purposes
• A copy of your Notification of Charitable Registration letter from the Canada Revenue Agency with any supporting documentation indicating the applicant’s status and terms of registration
• Copies of your charitable returns to the Canada Revenue Agency for the previous calendar year
• A detailed outline of all programs/services provided in the previous and current year and specific costs incurred in delivery
• A copy of your annual report
• Any other information that will assist this office to determine the charitable nature of its purposes, objects, and activities
• The proposed use of proceeds consistent with at least one of the four classification of charitable purposes.
• Lottery licence application specific to the type of lottery: raffle, break open ticket (Nevada), catch the ace

A municipality may issue a licence to eligible local charitable or religious organizations for paper raffle lotteries where the total value of the prizes to be awarded does not exceed $50,000. 

Application requirements

• Cost of raffle licence; 3% of the value of the prize, must be submitted with the completed application
• A bank account, held "in trust" must be maintained. This must be separate from the organizations general account.  There must be no transfer of funds to a general account of the licensee
• Proceeds must be used for the purpose stated on the licence application and be included in the organizations mandate
• Two principal signing officers for the organization are required on the application
• The licence must be visible at all times where tickets are being sold
• The licensee shall not allow any person under the age of 18 to purchase a ticket.
• If tickets are to be sold outside the city limits, contact must be made with those municipalities for permission
• For 50/50 draws, maximum prize must be identified on the tickets regardless of value and final number of tickets sold.
• A sample ticket must be submitted with the application
• The number of tickets printed cannot be changed after the licence is issued
• The location, date and time of draw cannot be changed after the licence is issued

Raffle ticket requirements

Please review the link for raffle ticket requirements as set out by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

• A serial number record must be main­tained showing the distribution of tickets, including the names of sellers, and the return of ticket stubs, cash, unsold or returned tickets to reconcile all tickets and cash at the end of the raffle.
• The licencee shall retain all unsold tickets and stubs or counterfoils of sold tickets for a period of one year from the date of the last draw.

Lottery final report requirements

• Must be submitted within 30 days of the end of the raffle.
• Two signing officers are required on the report

The report must be accompanied by:

• Copies of invoices for any expenditure incurred in the operation of the raffle including purchase of prizes, paper for printing tickets.  This is claimed under 3(b)
• The licence fee is an expense of this lottery and must also be claimed under 3(b)
• List of prizes and the prize winner(s) names and addresses
• Copies of all receipts or cheques for donations made for this lottery
• Copy of the bank account statements for the period of this licence with all supporting documents (invoices, receipts, copies of cheques)
• Serial number record 
• Final reports with items listed above are to be submitted in person or by mail to: City of Pembroke, 1 Pembroke St. E., Pembroke, ON, K8A 3J5

Please follow the links below to view the Raffle Terms and Conditions on the AGCO website or to download an application or final report. Applications must be printed, completed and submitted with original signatures. 

Raffle licence application

Raffle licence final report

A municipality may issue a licence to eligible local charitable or religious organizations for break open ticket lotteries where the total value of the prizes to be awarded does not exceed $50,000.

A break open ticket is a device made of cardboard and which has perforated cover window tabs behind which are symbols revealed by tearing open the cover tab. The winning combination of symbols is specified on the back of the ticket. Break open tickets are also known as “Nevada tickets” or “pull tabs”.

Break open tickets are sold in local stores so a location must be obtained before a licence can be issued.

Application requirements

• A bank account, held "in trust" must be maintained. This must be separate from the organizations general account.  There must be no transfer of funds to a general account of the licensee
• Proceeds must be used for the purpose stated on the licence application and be included in the organizations mandate
• Two principal signing officers for the organization are required on the application
• The licence must be visible at all times where tickets are being sold
• A "Ticket Sales contract" must be in place
• A copy of the Break Open Ticket seller registration, where applicable

Lottery final report requirements

• Must be submitted within 30 days of the end of the raffle.
• Two signing officers are required on the report
• Copies of invoices for any expenditure incurred in the operation of this lottery
• The licence fee is an expense of this lottery and must also be claimed
• Copies of all receipts or cheques for donations made for this lottery
• Copy of the bank account statements for the period of this licence with all supporting documents (invoices, receipts, copies of cheques and deposit slips)
• Any invoices or receipts as back up for use of proceeds
• Proceeds must be used for the purpose stated on the licence application.  If you are unsure, please contact the issuer of your licence for clarification.
• Final reports with items listed above are to be submitted in person or by mail to: City of Pembroke, 1 Pembroke St. E., Pembroke, ON, K8A 3J5

Please follow the links below to view the Break open ticket Terms and Conditions on the AGCO website or to download an application or final report. Applications must be printed, completed and submitted with original signatures. 

Break open ticket terms and conditions

Break open ticket application

Break open ticket final report

The City of Pembroke can issue licences for paper-based Catch the Ace progressive raffles with a prize board up to $50,000 

A Catch the Ace progressive raffle lottery is a multiple-draw game in which participants purchase tickets for a chance to win:

• A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of tickets from one draw, and
• The draw winner also gets a chance to win a progressive (cumulative) jackpot by selecting a card from a standard deck of 52 playing cards.

Application requirements

• A proposed draw schedule and sales plan outlining the maximum sales and prizes per draw to ensure the cumulative prizes do not exceed $50,000 for the licence period
• Rules of Play for raffle
• Ticket Sample
• Copy of your safety and security plan
• List of Board of Directors with contact information
• Licencing fee of 3% of the total prize board

Reporting for catch the ace

All supporting documentation must be submitted to the licensing authority within seven calendar days after every fourth draw. The final report is due 30 days after the final draw.

Interim and final reports (along with all supporting documents) are to be submitted in person or by mail to: City of Pembroke, 1 Pembroke St. E., Pembroke, ON, K8A 3J5 

Please follow the link below to view the catch the ace terms and conditions on the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario website.

Catch the ace raffle lottery application

Catch the ace raffle report