7.4.1. General Break Open Ticket Licensing Policies

1. In addition to a break open ticket licence(s) for a location(s) in a municipality, a licensee may also have a break open ticket licence issued by the Registrar to sell tickets in conjunction with another licensed lottery event.
2. Licensees selling tickets from locations in municipal boundaries prior to their amalgamation may be permitted to continue sales from those locations for a period not to exceed 18 months. After this time the newly amalgamated organization must conform to the break open ticket licensing policies established by the licensing authority.

See also “2.2.4. Policies: Organizations that amalgamate” for further information.

3. Where there is no Hall Charities Association at a bingo hall, individual licensees may apply to the Registrar for a licence to conduct and manage break open ticket events in conjunction with their regular bingo events.
4. Eligible organizations may apply for a licence to sell multiple ticket types under one licence. This includes tickets from multiple ticket manufacturers. Separate licences are required for each sales location.
5. All tickets sold under the same licence will be imprinted with the same licence number. To differentiate between different ticket types sold under the same licence, a unique identifier is required to be imprinted on the ticket and noted on the licence (for example, licence 12345 distinguishes ticket types by identifying as 12345-a, 12345-b, and so on.)
6. All break open tickets, including seal card games and bingo event ticket games sold in pooling bingo halls operating under the Bingo Revenue Model, must be imprinted with the registration number of the bingo hall, instead of the licence number.
7. The period for a break open ticket licence cannot exceed five (5) years, including any amendments and/or extensions.
8. The licensing authority may apply risk-based criteria to determine whether a licence period may be extended and to determine the length of the licence period. Criteria may include: licensee’s experience with charitable gaming; demonstrated level of compliance with all policies, procedures and applicable terms and conditions; and the licensee’s history of timely and accurate reporting to the licensing authority.
9. If all the tickets are sold before the licence expiry date, the licence will be deemed to have expired.
10. The licensing authority may grant an amendment extending the licence period, provided that:

• all the tickets authorized by the licence have been imprinted with the licence number and name of the licensee but not sold;
• the licensee makes the request for the extension in writing before the current licence expires; and
• the total licence period does not exceed five (5) years.

11. Only one eligible organization may be licensed to sell break open tickets per address, or location at one time.

12. Each separate business in a building, such as a shopping mall, may be considered as a separate location for licensing purposes.
13. The licensee may sell only break open tickets where the types, prize structures and graphics have been approved by the Registrar.
14. The licensee must ensure that different ticket types or styles are not mixed within a single compartment of a transparent container or break open ticket dispenser.
15. The licensee is permitted to carry over partially sold deals from one licence period to the next. Once tickets have been carried over from one licence period to the next, they are prohibited from being carried over to any further subsequent licence periods. The carry-over of any unopened boxes from one licence period to another is prohibited. There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be carried over to a new licence period as long as they come from an opened deal of tickets that has already been put into sale.
16. Any unsold tickets remaining at the end of the subsequent licence period that have been carried over from one licence period to the next must be removed from sale and then the deal collapsed at the end of the subsequent licence period. Tickets must be retained and destroyed in accordance with the Registrar’s policies.

See Section “7.9.1. Retention and destruction of break open tickets” for further information.

17. A deal of tickets must not be split between dispensers or containers.
18. Licensees may sell break open tickets from any location on the premises indicated on the licence.
19. Licensees must use break open ticket dispensers approved by the Registrar. The dispensers must be manufactured and supplied by registered suppliers.
20. Licence fees may be refunded once a licence has been issued if the licensee can demonstrate that:

• the break open tickets have not been imprinted; or
• the break open tickets were damaged, lost or destroyed as a result of circumstances beyond the licensee’s control and the licensee can account for all sold, damaged, lost and remaining tickets.

21. A licensing authority may not issue a break open ticket licence for events to be conducted on any conveyance that moves or is capable of moving including boats, trains and airplanes.

See “7.5.1. Municipal licensing policies”, and “7.6.1. Provincial licensing policies” for further information.

The following policies apply specifically to seal card games:

1. A seal card game may only be conducted and managed in conjunction with a licensed bingo event, licensed charitable gaming event or at premises used by members of a service club.
2. The licensee must only put a deal of seal card game tickets out for sale if there is a reasonable expectation that the deal will sell out during the course of the bingo event or, in the case of service club premises where bingo is not being played, that the deal will sell out within one operating day.
3. The licensee must remove the seal card window to reveal the seal card winner(s) as soon as the entire deal of seal card tickets has been sold.
4. It is not necessary for a player to be present at the time the seal card window is revealed. If a player who has a hold ticket will not be present at the time the winning numbers or symbols for the seal card prize is revealed, he/she must leave contact information with the licensee.
5. Some seal card games have rules of play that allow the licensee to choose between different options of how the game is played and the special prizes that are awarded. For example, the licensee could have the option of opening one seal on a seal card to reveal a $1,000 special prize or two seals to reveal two $500 prizes.
6. Where the licensee has options for how prizes are to be awarded, one option must be chosen and the licensee must ensure that it is posted and announced to players before starting the sale of the deal of tickets for that game.

See the Break Open Ticket Licence Terms and Conditions for further information.

For Hall Charities Associations in pooling bingo halls operating under the Bingo Revenue Model, see the Charitable Gaming Events Conducted and Managed in Pooling Bingo Halls Terms and Conditions.

7.4.1 (B) Bingo event ticket game policies

The following policies apply specifically to bingo event tickets:

1. A bingo event ticket game may only be licensed in conjunction with licensed bingo events conducted in registered charitable gaming sites or premises exempt from registration and may only be licensed by the Registrar.
2. A bingo event ticket game must be played and completed within one bingo event. If all bingo event tickets have not been sold during the bingo event, the licensee must submit a discrepancy report to the Registrar that sets out the number of tickets in the deal, the number of unsold tickets, prizes awarded and total gross receipts within 30 days of the event.
3. When the bingo event ticket game is won by dabbing a pattern of bingo ball numbers or symbols, the player must be present in order to win the bingo event ticket game prize.
4. Some types of bingo event ticket games have rules that allow the licensee to choose how the game is played. For example, the licensee could use bingo numbers called during the bingo event and have players dab a pattern of bingo ball numbers or symbols on the game ticket or simply open a seal card to determine the winner of the bingo event ticket game prize.
5. Where the licensee has options for how prizes are to be awarded, one option must be chosen and the licensee must ensure that it is posted and announced to players before starting the sale of the deal of tickets for that game.

See the Break Open Ticket Licence Terms and Conditions for further information.