Fundraising 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. These terms and conditions apply to all lottery licences issued under the authority of the Criminal Code (Canada). There are additional terms and conditions for each type of lottery scheme as well as Standards and Directives issued by the Registrar that must be followed.

Lotteries for Charity

Lotteries for charity can be a lot of fun – especially for the winners. But, certain rules must be followed in order to run a charitable lottery in Sarnia. We work together with the Sarnia Police and AGCO to ensure games are run in a legal and fair way. Eligible groups are able to submit an application for lottery licence. 3rd party groups wishing to help a charitable group are encouraged to speak directly with the organization, as licences are only able to be issued to the licenced group. Email us at lottery@sarnia.ca or call 519-332-0330 Ext. 3350 for more information.

Who is eligible for a lottery licence?

Only approved charitable organizations are eligible for lottery licences as per the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. If your charitable organization is interested in applying for a lottery licence an eligibility review must first be conducted. Please download the document Requirements for Running Lotteries for further information.

Please Note: Prior to applying for any lottery licensing, please be advised that all organizations must be in existence for a 12-month (1-year) period and that lottery fundraising is not the only source of generating revenue.

What kinds of event require a lottery licence?

A lottery event contains three components:

  • A prize ~ The prize value must be a minimum of 20% of the total ticket sales (unless it’s a 50/50 raffle).
  • A chance to win the prize
  • Consideration or a fee

All lottery events require a lottery licence in order to be permitted. Lottery events conducted without a licence are prohibited by the Criminal Code of Canada.
For information on promotional contests contact the Competition Bureau 1-800-348-5358

Auction’s do not require a lottery licence as there is no chance to win, it’s known that the highest bidder wins

What types of games can a licence be issued for?

Municipalities may issue licences to eligible organizations for the following events only:

More information regarding Electronic raffles, that are issued through the AGCO, can be found here.

And add to the website under lottery licences

More information regarding cGaming, issued through the OLG, can be found here

I have further questions who can I speak to?

If you have further questions please contact Customer Service at 519-332-0330 Ext. 3350 or email customerservice@sarnia.ca.