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Charity gaming and lottery licence

Apply for a lottery licence if you’re an eligible charitable or not-for-profit organization supporting charitable objectives in any of the following categories:

  • Relief of poverty
  • Advancement of education
  • Advancement of religion
  • Other charitable purposes that benefit the community, such as culture and arts, health and welfare, amateur sports organizations, enhancement of youth, public safety programs and community service organizations

Examples of organizations not eligible for a lottery licence include hobby groups, political lobby groups and for-profit organizations.

How to apply

  1. Review the General Terms and Conditions of Lottery Licences by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) before applying for your lottery licence.
  2. Submit the completed Lottery Licensing Eligibility Application and all required supporting documents by:

Charity Gaming
Compliance and Licensing Enforcement
Ground Floor, 3235 Mavis Road
Mississauga ON, L5C 1T7

For in-person applications, call 311 (905-615-4311 outside City limits) to request an appointment. We will respond as soon as possible.

If any of the required information or supporting documents are missing, your application will be considered incomplete and returned to you.

What happens next

Reviewing your application

Once we receive the fully completed Lottery Licensing Eligibility Application and all supporting documents, we’ll get back to you usually within three to four weeks. If we have questions while reviewing your eligibility form, we’ll contact you.

Setting up your designated account

Once your application is approved, you must open a designated lottery trust account or a designated business account. The account must be opened and maintained at a recognized financial institution in Ontario.

The type of account you need and the record-keeping and accounting documents required depend on the type of licence or permit you are applying for. Our office will provide you with details if your organization is deemed eligible.

Licensed events

A lottery event or scheme is one where money is paid, or consideration given such as a donation for a chance to win a prize.

A licensed lottery event is managed and conducted by an eligible charitable organization to support certain charitable objectives.

The City of Mississauga has the authority to issue lottery licences for:

Individual bingo games with prize boards of up to $5,500. To apply for a licence for an individual bingo event, download the Bingo Lottery Application and review the Bingo Licence Terms and Conditions.

Mississauga bingo hall locations

Organizations applying to play bingo at a bingo hall can contact the bingo hall administrator for an application and to review the requirements.

Delta Bingo: 4141 Dixie Road

Rama Gaming Centre: 2295 Battleford Road

Raffles with a total prize value of less than $50,000. Raffles with a total prize value of more than $50,000 must be licensed by the AGCO. Different types of raffles include:

  • 50/50 draws
  • Electronic raffles, which use computers to sell tickets, select winners and distribute prizes.
  • Catch the Ace, a multiple draw game where participants buy tickets for a change to win a percentage of the ticket sale proceeds from one draw. The winner also gets a chance to win a cumulative jackpot by choosing a card from a standard deck of playing cards.

How to apply for a raffle licence

Download the Raffle Lottery Application and read the Raffle Licence Terms and Conditions.

Your application must be submitted to the City along with the following:

  • A sample raffle ticket
  • Rules of play for a raffle or a 50/50 draw
  • A list of secured prizes and their retail value including taxes
  • Receipt and/or invoice for any prize over $500
  • Two independent certified appraisals for any prizes that are antiques, art or jewellery
  • A copy of all advertising for the raffle event
  • Lottery trust account number
  • Name and address of the bank or financial institution
  • Letter of Credit or certified cheque payable to City of Mississauga (if total prize value is over $10,000)
  • Lottery licence fee paid out of the lottery trust account for 3% of the total prize value

Vehicles awarded as prizes

Vehicles must be new and cannot be offered as a lease. You must provide:

  • A bill of sale or a confirmation letter from the dealership indicating make, model, options and full retail value including all applicable taxes

For trips awarded as prizes

  • Proof of accommodations or the minimum of a $500 cash prize must be included
  • Proof the travel agents involved are registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO)

What happens next

We will process your raffle licence application and issue your licence, usually within 15 business days. Your licence will be mailed to you, or you can pick it up at our office by appointment only on the ground floor at the Mississauga Civic Centre, 300 City Centre Drive.

The original copy of your licence must be posted at your event.

Break Open Tickets (BOT) are small cardboard lottery tickets. Symbols on the ticket are revealed by tearing open the cover tab, and the winning combination of symbols is shown on the back of the ticket.

To apply for a licence, download the Break Open Ticket Licence Application and review the Break Open Ticket Licence Terms and Conditions.

A bazaar is an event for charity, such as a rummage sale or a fundraiser. These events can include any combination of a:

  • Raffle not exceeding $50,000 in prizes
  • Bingo not exceeding $5,500 in prizes
  • Maximum of three wheels of fortune with a $2 maximum bet

To apply for a bazaar gaming licence, download the Application to Conduct a Lottery Type Scheme at a Bazaar and review the Bazaar Licence Terms and Conditions.

The social gaming licence permits small stakes games such as euchre, cribbage or bridge to be played in public places. You can apply for this licence as an individual or an organization such as a community group, seniors’ groups, service club, legion or seniors home.

  • Organizations are limited to one licence at a time for social gaming and cannot hold multiple licences
  • This licence is valid for one year (12 consecutive months)
  • Covers multiple events during the licensed year
  • Cannot be used for fundraising or as a revenue source
  • There cannot be any entrance or admission fees
  • No one under the age of 18 can participate
  • Casino games are not permitted
  • Games cannot be played on or through an electronic device.
  • Single bets cannot not exceed $2 per person, as prescribed by the Criminal Code of Canada.
  • Total cash prizes awarded are returned to the winners and cannot exceed $500 per calendar day, as per the Criminal Code of Canada.
  • The licensee can recover up to $50 per day to cover expenses for event costs only. This amount counts towards the $500 prize limit.
  • Rules of the game must be available to all players
  • The licensee is responsible and accountable for the overall conduct and management of the social gaming event(s)

Learn more about social gaming licences on the AGCO website.

Apply for a social gaming licence

Submit your social gaming licence application to the iAGCO portal. There is no fee for this licence.

Role of the City in lottery licensing

The City of Mississauga is responsible for:

  • Issuing lottery licences to eligible charitable organizations in accordance with AGCO requirements
  • Determining and monitoring the use of proceeds raised under the lottery licence
  • Enforcing all provincial gaming regulations

If you need more information about applying for a lottery licence, call 311 (905-615-4311 outside City limits) or email charity.gaming@mississauga.ca.

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