Clerk Services - Town of Prescott (original) (raw)

If you are planning an event that includes a lottery, raffle, bingo, etc. you may be required to obtain a lottery licence from the Town. Below you will find the information you need to know before considering a lottery, as well as application forms and reports for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Eligible charitable, religious and non-profit organizations may be licensed to conduct lotteries.

The Town of Prescott licenses the following:

• Raffles with prizes of up to $50,000
• Bingos with a prize board of up to $5,500
• Break Open Tickets
• Lottery Events at a Bazaar

All other types of lottery licences are issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

Eligibility and Use of Proceeds

The Town will review all relevant documentation to determine eligibility for lottery licences. These decisions are based on what is considered charitable in law, including the Criminal Code of Canada, previous court decisions, Order in Council 1413/08 as amended, and the policies issued by the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming.

To be eligible for lottery fundraising, the courts have determined that the term "charitable" refers to organizations which provide programs for:

a) Relief of Poverty

• Must assist those who are in financial need, distressed, suffering or experiencing social disadvantage, such as:
• The homeless
• Disabled persons
• Victims of crime

b) Advancement of Education

• Must provide programs that are geared to scholastic and vocational training for individuals.
• It is the provision of opportunity, supplies or facilities, for such as:
• Public schools,
• Colleges/universities,
• Parent/teacher associations which are non-profit and which support any of the institutions.

Note: The applicant organization should be the parent entity, i.e. the school itself and not a class or department within the school.
An organization that provides any type of program or curriculum that promotes racism, intolerance or violence is not eligible for lottery licensing.
Education that forms part of the professional development of a person or group of people, such as training courses for teachers, lawyers, nurses etc., are not accepted for educational purposes

c) Advancement of Religion

• An organization must demonstrate that its programs and services serve in religious services and programs to the community, interpreted to include the provision and maintenance of places of public worship

d) Any Purpose Beneficial to the Community

• The purpose must benefit the general public.
• The purpose must be exclusively charitable.
• A purpose is charitable even if some of the objects are not, so long as those objects are ancillary to the main charitable object.
• Purposes beneficial to the community include:
• Groups dedicated to community projects
• Certain service clubs
• Improvement for cultural or ethnic groups
• Improvement of quality of health
• Medical research
• Sporting and recreational public facilities
• the relief of poverty;
• the advancement of education;
• the advancement of religion;
• other charitable purposes beneficial to the community.

Requirements

Each application is unique. Determinations of eligibility will depend on the specific organization and its proposed use of proceeds.

The following pre-requisites are mandatory to be considered eligible for a lottery licence:

• Organizations must have been in existence for at least one (1) year before being considered eligible for lottery licences.
• The organization must have a place of business in Ontario, demonstrate that it is established to provide charitable services in Ontario and use proceeds for objects or purposes which benefit Ontario residents.

When an organization applies for a lottery licence, the following documents or information are required so that eligibility can be reviewed:

• Incorporation Papers (Letters Patent)
• Constitution and By-Laws
• Notification of Charitable Registration (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) (if applicable)
• The most recent Registered Charity Information Return & Public Information Return, as submitted to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (if applicable)
• Financial Statement for Previous Fiscal Year (audited, where applicable)
• Detailed outline of all programs/services provided in the previous year and specific costs incurred in delivery
• Detailed outline of all programs/service currently provided and specific costs incurred in delivery
• The current operating budget
• Current Listing of the Board of Directors
• Any other information that will assist in determining the charitable nature of the objects and purposes. This could include an annual report, correspondence relating to its charitable number for income-tax purposes, and confirmation that it meets the reporting requirements of the Charities Accounting Act
• The proposed use of proceeds, which must be consistent with the primary objects and purposes of the organization and of a charitable nature consistent with at least one of the four classifications of charitable purposes.

Application

Organizations are encouraged to contact the Clerk's Department to obtain information on the application process, to discuss requirements, licensing fees, qualification, etc. before completing an application. Inquiries can be sent email to admin@prescott.ca or by phone at 613-925-2812 X 6225.