Canadian Raffle Law: Nunavut

2011-11-23

Control Your Raffle – How to Make it Legal in Canada

In the Province of Nunavut, just like in every other Canadian Province, only charitable or religious organizations are eligible to apply for a raffle licence. To be deemed eligible, an organization must undertake to use all profits from a raffle for a charitable purpose that somehow benefits the community. Where municipalities in Nunavut do not have the power to issue licences for raffle events, Consumer Affairs will issue a licence on their behalf. Consumer Affairs will also issue a licence for Nunavut-wide events of this nature.

In addition to the rules that each province follows under the Criminal Code of Canada, Nunavut may set other guidelines for licensing. For example, in Nunavut, eligible organizations should apply for a licence at least one month before the expected date of the raffle event to ensure proper time for processing and approval. If the organization has held a raffle licence previously, they will want to provide that licence number in their application for a future event. They should also be prepared to describe how the prizes will be guaranteed in the event of a loss.

There is other important information to include in a raffle licence application in Nunavut. Organizations will need to provide information on the prizes that will be awarded, like retail value and the cost of the items. They will also have to provide a financial estimate regarding the cost of the conduct and management of the event which may include freight costs, equipment rental or the cost of the venue. In addition, Nunavut has special requirements for information to be printed on each raffle ticket. To keep any raffle legal, make sure to research the specifics for licence eligibility, application guidelines and event management in the province where the raffle is set to be held.

Find more information on licence eligibility and guidelines or download an application for a raffle licence in Nunavut here.

Other Helpful Details

• The raffle must be conducted and managed in the same way described in the approved licence application
• Each prize should be awarded as is set forth on the approved licence application
• All profits must be used for a charitable purpose as is described in the approved application
• An audited statement must be included in the application where the total prizes in a series licence are valued at over $100,000
• If the prizes in any single lottery are valued at over $30,000, specific approval is required
• The maximum duration of a licence is six months

Start Printing Raffle Tickets

Your raffle application requires a draft sample ticket to be printed and included with the application. Fortunately, it’s easy to generate a free ticket proof. Just be sure to print the details as spelled out by the law:

1. the name of the charitable organization;

2.  the location;

3. the price to purchase a chance (ticket);

4. the prizes to be awarded;

5.  the maximum number of tickets printed;

6.  the ticket number, if any; and

7. the lottery licence number.