The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has moved to clarify that requiring a purchase for charitable lottery products is not allowed.
The AGCO has updated its Lottery Licence Policy Manual with a clarification that it’s not allowed to require the mandatory purchase of charitable lottery products, including those intended for charitable activities, such as raffle tickets or other events.
“This change supports licensing authorities and charitable gaming licensees by formally outlining requirements in the LLPM,” writes the AGCO in the official announcement of the change. “This action aligns with the AGCO’s mandate to regulate in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest.”
What does the policy change on charitable lottery products mean?
The clarification means that organizations in Ontario cannot require the purchase of a lottery product from October 3 onwards. As well as for charitable functions, it also includes requiring a purchase in order to access a program or service.
In practice, any organizations with active licences that currently allow them to require the purchase of lottery tickets can continue doing so until the conclusion of their existing licence. From then on, no further licenses will be given out.
To provide further clarification moving forward, the AGCO has added a new section to the LLPM to reflect this new requirement, stating: “Mandating the purchase of lottery products of any kind for any reason, including but not limited to as a condition of registration for a program or service, is not permitted.”
This comes just a couple of months after the AGCO set some fresh boundaries on how licensed charities can operate lottery-style activities, including requiring approval for other expenses incurred under their license agreements, keeping up-to-date records, and retaining receipts for and commission paid to sellers for their services.
