Lottery licences are available to charitable, not-for-profit organizations that demonstrate an eligible mandate, including:
- relief of poverty
- advancement of education
- advancement of religion
- other charitable purposes beneficial to the community
Organizations must submit an eligibility package to the City of Burlington and receive approval before applying for a lottery licence. Please refer to the eligibility requirements sheet for more information on lottery licensing eligibility.
The following types of organizations are not considered charitable by the Province of Ontario for lottery licensing purposes:
- social clubs, adult hobby groups and adult sports teams
- professional associations, unions and employee groups
- elected representative groups, including municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments
- government ministries, agents or bodies
- political lobby groups and political parties
- groups promoting political doctrine
- groups attempting to bring about or oppose change in the law or government policy
- municipal councils, municipal corporations and their administrative departments
- organizations established solely for the purposes of fundraising
- private sports clubs, such as golf or curling clubs
For additional information, please read the city's lottery licence information sheet. The following information can be accessed online at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) website.
- Application forms for all gaming events
- Terms and conditions for all gaming events
- The Lottery Licence Policy Manual
- Use of proceeds
- Eligibility requirements and regulations
- Reports for all gaming events
Who issues lottery licences?
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) and municipalities work together to ensure licensees and any gaming suppliers comply with legal requirements, including terms and conditions to the licences. The Registrar has issued a Lottery Licensing Policy Manual which is used by municipal licensing officers to make decisions on eligibility for a lottery licence and for the use of proceeds, and for the types of lottery programs for which a licence may be issued. The Registrar also issues terms and conditions for lottery licences, which may be supplemented by municipalities.
The Registrar has a general authority to issue lottery licences. In the case of lottery licensees in pooling bingo halls, the AGCO and the municipality are both involved in the issuing of the licences. In other situations, the municipality will issue most lottery licences for bingos not in a pooling bingo hall with a maximum prize board of $5,500, break open tickets sold within the municipality, and raffles under $50,000 in prizes. The Registrar issues licences for raffles more than $50,000 in prizes, break open tickets to be sold regionally or province-wide, and certain "in conjunction with" games as part of a non-pooling bingo hall. These games include Super Jackpot bingo and break open tickets.
| Lottery Licensing Requirements |
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Additional requirements must be submitted along with your lottery licence application form. These requirements are in place to protect the integrity of the lottery program and the individuals who play. The following is a list of requirements for all eligible lottery programs:
Terms and conditions for all types of lottery programs can be found on the AGCO website. |
| Bazaar Lottery Licence |
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A bazaar lottery application must be completed by two members of your organization and returned to the City of Burlington for review and approval. The fee for a bazaar licence is three per cent of the prize value, up to a maximum of $500. A bazaar is an event where any combination of the following lotteries are conducted:
Please refer to the bazaar lottery licensing requirements prior to submitting your application. |
| Bingo Lottery Licence |
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A bingo lottery application must be completed by two members of your organization and returned to the City of Burlington for review and approval. The fee for a bingo licence is three percent of the prize board or $102 per event. Please refer to the bingo requirements prior to submitting your application. |
| Break Open Ticket Lottery Licence |
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To qualify for a break open ticket (or Nevada) lottery licence, your organization must:
A break open ticket lottery application must be completed by two members of your organization and returned to the City of Burlington for review and approval. The fee for a break open ticket licence is three percent of the prizes awarded per deal. Please refer to the break open ticket requirements prior to submitting your application. |
| Raffle Lottery Licence |
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A raffle lottery application must be completed by two members of your organization and returned to the City of Burlington for review and approval. Permitted raffle lottery events include:
The fee for a raffle licence is three percent of the retail value of the prize(s), including taxes. Any raffle with a prize value of $10,000 or more requires additional documentation. Raffles with prizes over $50,000 must obtain a licence from the AGCO. Raffle licences most commonly applied for are stub draws, 50/50 draws and blanket raffles. Please refer to the raffle requirements, 50/50 draw requirements or blanket raffle requirements prior to submitting your application. If you have questions regarding other types of raffle events, please contact our office. |