Lottery Licenses

The Town of Blind River issues lottery licenses to eligible community charitable groups to raise funds through events such as bingos, raffles and break-open tickets. All lotteries are regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). All lotteries and raffles must have a license according to the Criminal Code of Canada.

Apply for a lottery license

To apply for a lottery license, find the application information for your lottery event, including bingo lotteries, through the AGCO and submit your application package to our municipal office at 11 Hudson St. We also have applications available for pickup at our municipal office.

If you are a first-time applicant, please contact us to learn more about the application requirements for your type of lottery license and eligibility criteria before applying.

Your application package should include:

• A completed application form
• An application fee of 1.5% of the total prize value
• A schedule of lottery events if the application is for multiple draws or bingos
• Information or documents that demonstrate the charitable nature of your organization

Eligible organizations

Before you apply for a lottery license, you must be an approved eligible organization. To qualify for a lottery license, your organization must:

• Be a non-profit or registered charitable organization
• Be concerned with relieving poverty, advancing education or religion or another charitable purposes in the community
• Be legally, financially and organizationally separate from any other organization
• Have a place of business in Ontario
• Have existed for at least one year

Ineligible organizations

Organizations that are not eligible for lottery licenses include:

• Adult hobby groups and recreational or adult-oriented sports
• Elected municipal representative groups, including municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments
• Government agencies or bodies
• Political lobby groups, those promoting a political doctrine or those attempting to bring about or oppose changes in the law or government policy
• Political parties
• Private sports or clubs
• Professional associations, unions and employee groups
• Professional or semi-professional athletics
• Social clubs
• Those holding lotteries that provide personal benefit to members of the organization
• Those that fund activities that do not fall within one of the four charitable classifications

Lottery Licensing Policy

The AGCO's Lottery Licensing Policy Manual outlines the legal framework and processes for lottery licensing. All licensed organizations must conduct their events in accordance with these policies.