Advertising is an integral part of the conduct and management of lottery schemes, therefore the licensee is responsible for the design, placement and cost of advertising.
Licensees must consult the licensing policies for each type of lottery and the terms and conditions of their licences for specific advertising and promotion restrictions.
See also “9.7.1. Bingo advertising and promotion”. For pooling bingo halls operating under the Bingo Revenue Model, see “10.10.1(d) Marketing fund”.
3.3.1. ADVERTISING POLICIES
- The licensee must ensure that all advertising complies with the Lottery Licence Terms and Conditions, any additional terms and conditions, the content guidelines set out in Section 3.3.2, and any existing federal, provincial or municipal laws, including the Criminal Code (Canada) and the Gaming Control Act, 1992.
- Advertising of raffle lottery events is permitted through any public medium.
- While a licensee may advertise in national or international media, tickets may only be sold in Ontario.
- Raffle tickets licensed in Ontario must not be offered for sale, sold or ordered from outside of Ontario. However, while in Ontario, residents of other countries or provinces may purchase raffle tickets or break open tickets licensed in Ontario.
- Raffle tickets must be purchased in Ontario and must not be mailed out of the province. Licensees or their agents must not accept ticket orders from outside Ontario.
- Any advertising, endorsements or promotional activities by well-known personalities or celebrities must be provided at no cost to the licensee unless permitted by the “Pooling Bingo Halls: Advertising and Marketing Guidelines (6183)” and must comply with all federal, provincial and municipal laws, including the Criminal Code (Canada) and the Gaming Control Act, 1992.
- Advertisements must contain the name of the organization conducting the event, the fact that it is a charitable organization, the lottery licence number(s), and the terms and conditions for winning prizes.
- If businesses donate prizes, the licensee may acknowledge the donor’s generosity by including the donor’s name and/or logo on the ticket or in print advertisements. However, the licensee’s name must be predominant on the ticket and must be the focus of all advertising.
- The licensee must not assign the sole responsibility for advertising any licensed lottery events to any other person, including registered Gaming-Related Suppliers and registered Gaming Assistants involved in the conduct of the event.
3.3.2. ADVERTISING CONTENT GUIDELINES
All content, including graphics, used to advertise and promote licensed lottery events must comply with the following guidelines:
- The content must depict charitable gaming in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity.
- The messaging in the content should promote public awareness with respect to gambling responsibly.
- The content must comply with all of the Registrar’s policies and guidelines, and any applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws, regulations or policies.
- The content must not suggest any illegal gaming or depictions of illegal gaming.
- The content must not imply that participating in gaming activity promotes or is necessary for:
- financial success;
- social acceptance;
- professional achievement;
- personal success;
- sexuality or sexual opportunity;
- the fulfilment of any goal; or
- the resolution of financial, social, physical or personal problems.
- With the exception of public service advertising respecting responsible gambling, content must not appeal, either directly or indirectly, to persons under the age of 18, or be placed in media targeted specifically at people under the age of 18 years.
- Celebrity endorsements must not state or imply that playing games of chance has contributed to the celebrity’s success.
- Content must not compare one form of gaming to another.