Community gaming

Charitable Bingo in Canada: How Licences, Halls and Proceeds Work

Casino newsUpdated October 28, 2026

Charitable bingo in Canada is legal because the Criminal Code lets a province license a charitable or religious organization to run a game, provided the proceeds go to a charitable or religious purpose. Each province runs its own licensing: municipalities and the AGCO in Ontario, the AGLC in Alberta, BC's gaming branch, and the Régie in Quebec. Rules on prizes, halls and age vary.

The legal basis: a licence and a charitable purpose

Bingo is a game of chance, so it falls under the gaming provisions of the Criminal Code. Paragraph 207(1)(b) makes it lawful for a charitable or religious organization to conduct and manage a lottery scheme in a province under a licence issued by that province, as long as the proceeds are used for a charitable or religious object or purpose. A bingo run without a licence, or one whose profits stay with the organizer, does not fit the exception.

There is also a technology limit. Under paragraph 207(4)(c), a scheme licensed to a charity cannot be operated on or through a computer, video device or slot machine. Electronic bingo products in halls are therefore delivered through the provincial lottery corporation, which conducts and manages them under paragraph 207(1)(a), with charities sharing in the results. That split explains why paper bingo and e-bingo can sit side by side in one hall under different rules. Our overview of gambling law in Canada explains the provincial exception in more detail.

Ontario: municipal licences, AGCO licences and charitable gaming centres

Ontario divides the work between municipalities and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). An organization first has to be found eligible, which gives it a charitable gaming eligibility number, and then applies to the right licensing authority.

• Municipality: bingo events with total prizes of $5,500 or less, media bingo, merchandise bingo, local break-open tickets and raffles with prizes of $50,000 or less.
• AGCO: bingo events with prizes over $5,500, super jackpot bingo, progressive bingo, provincial break-open tickets, electronic raffles and raffles over $50,000.

Anyone who owns or operates a bingo hall, called a charitable gaming site, must be registered with the AGCO. Halls are either pooling or non-pooling. In a pooling hall, the charities playing there form a bingo hall charity association, and pooled revenue is split between the licensees and the hall operator under the bingo revenue model. Charities also have to supervise their own events: members in charge must be bona fide members of the organization, at least 18, at least three must be present, and hall employees cannot stand in for them.

Electronic bingo arrived through a partnership between OLG, the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association and the Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario. It began as a pilot at six sites in Barrie, Kingston, Peterborough, Sudbury and Windsor and grew into what OLG calls charitable gaming centres, which offer electronic bingo on touch-screen units, Play On Demand games and break-open style Tap Tix. OLG pays a percentage of net gaming wins to the participating charities. For one recent fiscal year, OLG's sustainability page shows $120 million in charitable gaming proceeds to participating local charities. Charitable gaming in Ontario is open to players 18 and older.

Alberta: charities run the games

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) uses a model in which licensed charities conduct and manage the gaming themselves. Alberta is the only province where charities also conduct and manage casino events, and in the AGLC's figures for one recent fiscal year, more than 23,000 charitable gaming licences raised $422.8 million, with 67.6% coming from casino events.

To hold a bingo licence, a group must meet eligibility rules: it is run by Alberta volunteers with an elected executive and no paid members, its programs are open to the public, and its purpose falls under relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion or another benefit to the community. The AGLC's eligibility review takes about six weeks. There are two main routes:

1. Bingo association: member groups play in a licensed bingo facility that runs four or more days a week, with a licence fee of $10 per event.
2. Community bingo: a group runs bingo in its own facility up to three days a week; no fee is charged until annual gross sales reach $150,000, then $10 per event.

Applications should be in at least four weeks before the first event. Questions can go to the AGLC at 1-800-272-8876.

British Columbia: new gaming event licences

British Columbia's new Gaming Control Act and its regulations are now in force, and the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB) reorganized charitable gaming events into three licence classes. Bingo is allowed under all three:

• Class A: charitable and religious organizations, including parent advisory councils, community service organizations and sports associations.
• Class B: individuals or groups running small events with an entry fee of $2 or less, prizes of $500 or less and revenue up to $20,000.
• Class C: designated fairs.

Participants must be in British Columbia. Minors are not allowed to play bingo unless they are supervised by a parent or guardian or are employed at the event, under section 32 of the Gaming Control Regulation.

Quebec: eight bingo licences and the Kinzo network

In Quebec, bingo licences are issued by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux to charitable or religious organizations, and the proceeds must fund projects with a charitable or religious purpose. The Régie lists eight types of bingo licence, including recreational bingo, bingo held in a hall by the organization alone or with a hall manager, a separate licence for hall managers, media bingo, and bingo at fairs, agricultural concessions and public amusement venues.

The categories come with specific limits. Recreational bingo allows one session of up to three hours a day. A hall manager can run a maximum of 208 sessions a year in one hall. Media bingo is broadcast on community radio no more than twice a week and 65 sessions a year; the licence is valid for three years and the application must be filed 60 days ahead.

Electronic play in Quebec halls takes the form of Kinzo, a game Loto-Québec created in response to falling attendance at bingo halls, according to a Fonds de recherche du Québec research summary. It runs in participating halls alongside paper bingo.

Where the money goes and how the provinces compare

In every province the rule is the same at its core: after prizes and expenses, the licensee's share must go to the charitable or religious purpose in its licence. The table sets out the main differences.

On top of the share for charities, the same OLG page shows $164 million in one recent fiscal year going to the municipalities and First Nations that host casinos and charitable gaming centres. If you enjoy number draws, our guide to keno in Canada covers the closest provincial lottery game, and our land casinos hub lists venues across the country.

Frequently asked questions