Canadian Raffle Law: New Brunswick

2011-11-15

How to Keep Your Raffle Legal in New Brunswick

Any group or organization that wishes to hold a raffle in Canada is subject to each individual province’s laws. Canada’s Criminal Code prohibits gambling, except in certain cases. In the Province of New Brunswick, the Department of Public Safety will only allow raffles or lotteries to be held by charitable groups or organizations, and maintains that the profits thereof must go towards a charitable purpose, which will benefit the community in some way.

Raffles or lotteries can be defined as games in which people pay for the chance to win something. To obtain approval for a gaming event from the Department of Public Safety, apply for a licence or permit in advance. Applications received less than one month before the planned date of the gaming event or beginning of ticket sales may not be approved. Consult a lawyer if you are unsure whether a certain gaming event requires a licence or permit.

The amount of money awarded in prize winnings is what will determine whether a charitable organization must apply for a permit or a licence in order to keep their raffle legal. New Brunswick sets the cutoff at $500, and gaming events with a total prize value of $500 or less may apply for a permit, while those with $500 or more in total prize value should apply for a licence.

It is important to read the terms and conditions of the license/permit prior to applying. To review the Terms and Conditions and download the application for a raffle licence/permit, click here.

Key Items to Note

• Only charitable organizations are eligible to apply for a licence or permit to hold a raffle. These types of organizations include those that are dedicated to the purpose of relieving poverty, advancement of religion, education, or any cause that benefits the community.
• There is no fee associated with a permit, whereas those applying for a licence (games in excess of $500) must pay a $25 fee at the time of application.
• Applications for proposed raffles must include a draft raffle ticket with the date and location of the draw, name of the organization and who the proceeds are going to, and the contest rules and prizes up for grabs.
• Gaming event applications are available from Service New Brunswick Centres and the Department of Public Safety. Permits may be granted at the site the application is submitted. Licence applications can be sent to the Gaming Control Branch of the Department of Public Safety, 364 Argyle Street, PO Box 6000, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1.

 

Ready to Print Your Raffle Tickets?

 

Stay within the boundaries of the law by printing your tickets the right way! Certain information must legally be printed on your raffle tickets. Your tickets should have two parts: a stub where donors can write their contact information, and a body where you print important details for the donors to retain. The ticket body must include:

• Name and address of the licensee and year-round contact phone number;
• Gaming event licence number, to be shown as “BC Gaming Event Licence #______”;
• Location, date and time of all draws, including early bird draws;
• Sequential number of the ticket;
• Number of tickets printed in each price category;
• Price of the ticket;
• Statement of required presence at the draw as a condition of winning, if applicable;
• Statement of participants’ responsibility for the cost of prize delivery, if applicable;
• The words “Winners consent to the release of their names by the licensee.”
• For Class A and Class C gaming event licences, the statement, “Ticket purchasers must be 19 years of age or older.”

The ticket stub must include:

• Place for the name, address and telephone number of the ticket purchaser;
• Gaming event licence number, to be shown as “BC Gaming Event Licence #______”;
• Sequential number of the ticket.