Following a number of recent reports, RCMP NL is warning the public of illegal lotteries taking place within the province and providing information on applicable laws to educate those participating and to curb the illegal activity.
A lottery is any game in which you are required to pay a fee, or give something to enter, and for which there is a draw or some method that randomly picks a winner, who then receives a prize. These types of lotteries are legal ONLY if licensed by Service NL, which administers the licensing of lottery activities in the province. It is an offence under the Criminal Code to operate an unauthorized lottery. Currently, lottery licenses may only be issued to charitable or religious organizations or non-profit organizations with charitable objectives identified in their articles of incorporation. Eligible organizations may only raise funds for charitable programs that are part of their regular operations. The only lottery activities permitted in NL are:
- Bingo
- Breakopen
- Bingo/Breakopen
- Ticket Lotteries
- Chase the Ace
- Games of Chance\
- Monte Carlo
- Sports Lotteries
Conducting lottery activities over social media is not permitted and is an offence under the Criminal Code. Individuals are not eligible to apply for lottery licences, and anyone wishing to fundraise for an organization should consult with that organization directly. Details on the eligibility requirements for organizations to apply for charitable lottery licenses can be found at https://www.gov.nl.ca/snl/lotteries/#q1. Please note that lottery licensing is currently suspended except where the lottery can be held without person to person contact, in accordance with recommendations from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.