Canadian Raffle Law: Manitoba

2011-11-13

The Keys to Running a Legal Raffle in Manitoba

All Canadian Provinces must abide by the Criminal Code of Canada when it comes to raffles. This code states, among other things, that only religious or charitable organizations may legally hold raffles. In addition to this Code, each Canadian Province may set particular rules having to do with raffles. The Province of Manitoba allows religious or charitable organizations to apply for a licence to hold different types of raffles. If the organization has not been previously licensed by the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission (MGCC), they must submit background information in order to be approved as eligible.

Any type of legal raffle requires licencing in Manitoba. For a raffle with the anticipated total revenue of $5,000 or less, eligible organizations are required to apply for a Community Raffle licence. If the anticipated revenue is more than $5,000, then the eligible organization should apply for a Standard Raffle licence. Follow the application guide closely so that all the necessary information is included. Incomplete applications can result in a delay in processing the approval for a raffle licence. Allow 3 weeks for processing of a Community Raffle application, and 4-6 weeks for a Standard Raffle application.

Organizations eligible for a raffle licence may have to pay a fee to obtain the licence. These fees depend on the anticipated total revenue. Any raffle with the anticipated total revenue of over $5,000 is required to pay a fee of 1.5% of the total revenue. In order to determine eligibility, include as much of the following as possible in the application: charter, constitution and by-laws, articles of incorporation, most recent corporate annual return, minutes of the most recent general annual meeting, membership list, most recent financial statement and bank statements.

To access more information on raffle licences, application guidelines, terms and conditions, and to download an application for a raffle licence in Manitoba, click here.

Other Helpful Tips

• Organizations who obtain a raffle licence must use the profits thereof for a charitable purpose that somehow benefits the community
• Organizations holding raffles of anticipated revenue of over $5,000 must submit financial forms to the MGCC within 60 days of the raffle
• If the raffle has less than $5,000 anticipated revenue, records of the event must be kept in case of an inspection, audit, or for the approval of an application in the future
• The MGCC maintains an expense limit of 20% of the total revenue for all raffles, but licence fees are not included
• The applications have specific guidelines on draft raffle tickets, so it is important to review them closely in case a sample proof is requested
• Organizations are required to utilize a separate lottery bank account for all raffle revenue

Ready to Print Your Raffle Tickets?

Keep in mind that the law requires you to print certain information on Community Raffle Tickets. You’ll need to choose tickets with two parts—a body and a stub—to keep it legal.

• The purchaser’s stub must have the name of the licensee, draw time, date and location, prize information, licence number, ticket price and ticket number; unless all tickets are sold on the same day, in the same location the draw is taking place; in which case the licensee could post this information along with the approved licence.
• The draw stubs must have the ticket number and must provide a place for the purchaser to fill in contact information, unless all tickets are sold on the same day, in the same location the draw is taking place; in which case roll tickets can be used as bearer tickets which must be presented in order to claim a prize.
• Tickets must be consecutively numbered with an identifiable beginning and end.
• If you are selling multiple-priced tickets (e.g. $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00) you must use a different set of tickets to be sold for each price (e.g. your $2.00 tickets could be red and your 3/$5.00 tickets could be blue).

If you require more Standard Raffle Ticket Info, please refer to page four of this document.