This guide contains detailed information to assist you in applying for AGCO licences, registrations and certificates.

The AGCO issues lottery licences in accordance with the framework set out in the Criminal Code (Canada) and Order in Council 208/2024. Under the Gaming Control Act, 1992, the AGCO is responsible for registering suppliers who provide goods and services to lottery licensees. The AGCO also assesses electronic gaming equipment to ensure that it meets the Registrar's Standards.

The current regulatory framework is based on six key elements:

1. Criminal Code (Canada)
2. Gaming Control Act, 1992 and its Regulations
3. Order-in-Council 208/2024
4. Terms and conditions
5. Standards and Directives issued by the Registrar
6. Lottery Licensing Policy Manual, together with all updates and information bulletins.

Note: Changes detailed in this guide only apply to licences issued by the AGCO and do not impact licences issued by municipalities and First Nations with an Order-In-Council. See details below.

• The AGCO is responsible for regulating and overseeing licensed lottery events conducted by eligible charitable and religious organizations to raise funds to support charitable purposes.
  • This responsibility is shared with municipalities and First Nations with an Order-In-Council.
    • Certain licences are issued at municipal level while others are issued by the AGCO.
  • Includes bingo, raffles and the sale of break open tickets. 
• The AGCO issues the following licences that will now be administered using iAGCO. These include: 
  • Lottery events with high prize values 
  • Lottery events that are held in conjunction with other licensed lottery events
  • Electronic versions of lottery events (e.g. electronic raffles)
  • Lottery events with a province-wide footprint (e.g. provincial break open tickets)
  • Lottery events to be held on federal land or in unorganized territories where there is no municipal government
  • First Nations that do not have an Order-in-Council
  • Organizations fundraising for United Way or Federated Health.

Lottery Licensing Policy Manual

The Registrar publishes a Lottery Licensing Policy Manual (LLPM) which is used to determine eligibility for a lottery licence and the use of proceeds from charitable gaming. The LLPM has been designed to ensure lottery licences are issued and administered on a consistent basis throughout the province. The AGCO also uses the LLPM to communicate changes in the Registrar’s policies and in the regulatory structures for lottery licensing.

Fees and Payment

• Please refer to the AGCO’s Charitable Gaming Fees page for the applicable fee.
• When using online services, all payments under $30,000 must be made by Visa, MasterCard, Visa Debit, MasterCard Debit or pre-paid Visa or MasterCard. 
  • Payments of $30,000 or more must be made by money wire transfer or electronic funds transfer. Please note that cheques and cash (including USD) are not accepted.
  • All fees must be submitted at time of application and are non-refundable.

Important Information

• Do not misrepresent or omit any material fact(s). Each statement made in your application is subject to verification.
• It is a serious offence to knowingly provide false information on the forms or any attachments.
• Providing false, incomplete, or misleading information or omitting information on the forms or in the documents submitted with your application, or failing to notify the AGCO of any material changes to this information which occur after an application is filed, may also result in the refusal, suspension or revocation of your lottery licence.
• In iAGCO, you must select your licence type and submit all required information and documents. Sample documents are available for you download to complete. Some documents may require a signature.

Additional Documents

You must scan and upload to iAGCO any required additional documents.

Conditions

The Registrar may attach one or more conditions to your licence to help you minimize risks identified during the assessment process.

You may apply to remove and/or add conditions on your licence if there has been a change in circumstances.

Modifications to Existing Licences

Follow the steps below to make changes to your licence that directly changes the licence certificate on iAGCO (pending required approval):

• Under Existing Licences / Permits / Authorizations / Registrations:
  • Click on the link to Request a Change
  • Select your licence/registration type from the drop-down list
  • Select the Type of change for the drop-down list.

Post-Event Reporting through Regulatory Submissions

A Regulatory Submission must be made online through iAGCO to submit:

1. Post-Event Reports
   1. Post-Event reports, previously referred to as Charitable Gaming Summary Reports, record the financial outcome of your events. As a Charitable Gaming Licensee, you are required to submit this report through your iAGCO online account within the time limit specified in the terms and conditions of your licence.
2. Incident Reports
   1. Incident Reports can be used to notify the AGCO of an incident of non-compliance, or to report changes or issues with technology solutions that took place at your Charitable Gaming event.

To submit a Regulatory Submission on iAGCO, click the Submit Regulatory Submissions and Notification link on the Main Menu, select the Regulatory Submission you wish to submit and follow the steps as instructed.

For more information, see the Regulatory Submissions Guide and watch the AGCO’s Regulatory Submissions: Post Event Reports video.

1. Login to iAGCO. Click Start a New Application under New Applications.

2. Select Charitable Gaming Lottery Licences in the next window and click Next.

Note:

• You can apply for charitable and social gaming-related licences online.
• Certain charitable gaming licences are issued by municipal and First Nations licensing authorities while others are issued by the AGCO.
  • The AGCO is responsible for regulating and overseeing licensed lottery events (such as bingo, raffles and the sale of break open tickets) conducted by eligible charitable and religious organizations to raise funds to support charitable purposes. 
  • This responsibility is shared with municipalities and First Nations with an Order-In-Council.
• iAGCO will be used for event types which the AGCO is the licensing authority for including:
  • Lottery events with high prize values
  • Lottery events that are held in conjunction with other licenced lottery events
  • Electronic versions of lottery events (i.e. electronic raffles)
  • Lottery events with a province-wide footprint (i.e. provincial break open tickets)
  • Lottery events to be held in unorganized territories or federal lands for which there is no municipal government
  • First Nations that do not have an Order-in-Council
  • Organizations fundraising for United Way or Federated Health
• The AGCO has issued a Lottery Licensing Policy Manual (LLPM) which is used to determine eligibility for a lottery licence and for the use of proceeds. View the LLPM for more information on the types of lottery schemes for which a licence may be issued.

Tip: Use the navigation buttons at the bottom of each page to easily move through and save your application. Most pages include three navigation buttons: Back, Save Draft, and Next.

• Back - Navigate back to the previous page of the application.
• Save Draft - Select this button to save the information entered up to and including that page. Note that information may be lost if you leave your application open without saving for an extended period of time.
• Next - Proceed to the next page of the application.

3. Choose Raffle Licence as the type of application. Have the following items ready to submit the application:
   • Your organization’s Charitable Gaming Eligibility number; or
   • The file number of your organization’s Charitable Gaming Eligibility application (if it’s in process)
     • Private and Public sector places of employment applying to conduct and manage lottery events on behalf of the United Way and Federated Health do not require a Charitable Gaming Eligibility number. A letter of agreement with the United Way or Federated Health is required.
   • Rules of Play
   • Lottery Ticket sample
   • Retail value of any non-cash prizes over $500
   • Original Letter of Credit by mail for instances where the prize board is $10,000 or more (only applicable to 50/50s)
   • Completed and signed Signature of Principals form.

Note: Applications should be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the proposed raffle lottery start date. Advertising, promotion and selling of raffle lottery tickets may only begin once the lottery licence is issued.

Click Next to proceed.

Note:

• The Raffle Licence application permits an organization that is eligible for lottery licensing to conduct and manage a raffle lottery. Types of raffles available under this application include:
  • 50/50 or 50/50 Plus Draw
  • Stub Draw
  • Elimination Draw
  • Calendar Draw
  • Catch the Ace
  • “Golf Ball Drop”
  • “Rubber Duck” Race
  • Meat Spin/Turkey Roll
  • “Name the Raffle”
  • Bossy Bingo/Cow Patty Bingo
  • Penny Auction
  • Auction-Style Raffles
• Only the AGCO may issue a Lottery Licence to conduct and manage raffle events:
  • Where the total value of the prizes to be awarded exceeds $50,000
  • Conducted in an unorganized territory or in First Nations communities without an Order-In-Council
  • Conducted on Federal land such as a Canadian Forces base
  • Where the event is in conjunction with another licensed lottery event
  • Electronic raffles regardless of location or prize board
  • As part of the United Way or Federated Health fundraising campaigns
• A municipality or First Nations with Order-In-Council may issue a stand-alone, paper-based raffle licence to an eligible charitable or religious organization where the total value of the prizes to be awarded does not exceed $50,000.
  • Contact your municipality or band council for more detailed information on the application process, licensing fees and requirements.
• Raffle prizing
  • The prize board must be based on a percentage of ticket sales, based on the following rules:
    • The retail market value of the prizes to be awarded must not be less than 20% of the total value of all tickets issued.
    • Early bird prizes must not exceed 5% of the value of all tickets issued.
    • Total prizes must be at least 20% of the value of all tickets issued.
    • The total prize board value must not be less than 20% of the total value of all raffle tickets issued.
  • The price and number of tickets must be included in the Rules of Play.
    • The number of tickets requirement does not apply to Catch the Ace raffles or electronic 50/50s, where the number of tickets may not be known up front. However, the 20% rule still applies.
    • For more information specific to Catch the Ace, please refer to the Raffles section in Lottery Licensing Policy Manual (LLPM).
  • The Raffle prizing details above applies to any licence type that may include a Raffle.

4. On the New Application – Raffle Licence – Lottery Licence page, ensure your personal contact information is correct and up-to-date. Then select the person or entity applying for this licence, permit, authorization and/or registration.

5. Enter your new applicant and contact information details as needed. Ensure to complete all fields marked with a red asterisk. Click Next to proceed.

Note:

• Click Save Draft and then select My Profile in the top right corner of your screen if you need to update your contact details.
• The list of possible legal entities an organization may be if conducting a lottery event to raise money for the United Way or Federated Health is one of the following:
  • Association
  • Corporation
  • Partnership
  • Limited partnership
  • Sole Proprietor
  • Federal Government
  • Municipality
  • Provincial Government
  • Agricultural Society
  • Estate/ Trust
  • First Nations
  • Non-Profit
  • Religious Organization
  • Community Group
• The list of possible legal entities the organization may be if not conducting a lottery event for the United Way or Federated Health is one of the following:
  • Association
  • First Nations
  • Non-Profit
  • Religious Organization
  • Agricultural Society
  • Community Group
  • Individual

6. Select your Premise Type from the drop-down menu and complete the required fields. Then click Next to proceed.

Note:

• Click the checkbox beside Use My Information to automatically fill in your contact details with information you already provided.

7. On the Charitable Gaming Eligibility page, answer Yes or No to this question: Is the applicant a private or public sector place of employment applying to fundraise on behalf of either the United Way or Federated Health campaigns?

Note:

• If No is selected, you will need to provide a Charitable Gaming Eligibility Number or Application File Number before you can proceed to the next step.

8. On the Designated Members in Charge page, provide the names and contact information for at least two bona fide members of your organization who will be responsible for the conduct of the lottery event.

9. In the Lottery Details section on the same page, provide the start and end dates during which your lottery event(s) will be conducted. Ensure to also provide all required information as indicated by each red asterisk.

Note: Depending on the Raffle Type selected a required field for Prize Value may appear and would need to be completed.

10. Answer Yes or No to the questions on the following screen. Also provide additional details in text boxes, as required.

11. On the Documents to Attach screen, upload Required Documents as instructed. Click Upload File to attach files. Click Next to proceed.

Note:

• Other documents may be provided at any time during the application process. Documents may be submitted in image formats.
• Ensure to select the Document Type for each file once uploaded and attached to your application. A green check mark box will appear beside each document type once selected.

12. If there are any errors or missing information, you will be instructed to fix each one on the Errors on Application page. Click Fix next to each error to correct or provide the required information.
    
    If there are no remaining errors, you will see Fees and a Declaration. Carefully review the declaration and check the box to declare that all information provided in the application is true and correct.
    
    You can pay the fees and submit your application now by clicking Pay Fees and Submit Application. You also have the option to pay later (along with other applications) by selecting Add to Shopping Cart.

13. Click Complete Payment Process to finalize the application process. Before proceeding, it’s recommended to screenshot or print a copy of this webpage to keep for your records.

Note:

• For payment inquiries to your bank, please refer to the Authorization Number and Confirmation Code on your payment receipt.
• For payment inquires to the Ministry, please refer to the payment Session ID on your payment receipt.
• You may be required to submit a Regulatory Submission post your Charitable Gaming event. There are two types of Regulatory Submissions available through your iAGCO online account: Post-Event Reports and Incident Reports.
  • A Post-Event report records the financial outcome of your event. As a Charitable Gaming Licensee, you are required to submit this report through your iAGCO online account within the time limit specified in the terms and conditions of your licence.
  • An Incident Report can be used to notify the AGCO of an incident of non-compliance, or to report changes or issues with technology solutions that took place at your Charitable Gaming event.
  • Please see the Regulatory Submissions guide for more information.

14. Congratulations! You’ve submitted your Raffle Licence application! You will receive a confirmation email shortly with an attachment containing the information you entered in your application. An Application Summary will also be available for download within 15 minutes on the Main Menu under My Applications Under Review.

You can also provide the AGCO with additional information and documentation if needed or withdraw your application under the My Applications Under Review section of your iAGCO account home page

We hope this guide helped you prepare for and complete your Raffle Licence application in iAGCO.

If you have any questions or would like to provide comments or feedback on the application process, please contact AGCO Customer Service. Email customer.service@agco.ca or call 416-326-8700 or 1-800-522-2876 (toll-free in Ontario) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.