CA Canada · Guide

Contests and raffles in Canada.

Canada splits draws in two. Businesses run contests with no purchase necessary and a skill-testing question. Charities run raffles and 50/50 draws under provincial licences. Here is how both work.

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01 At a glance

The short version.

Criminal Code: Section 206 prohibits paid-entry games decided by chance, or by mixed chance and skill
Contests: No purchase necessary, plus a skill-testing question
Disclosure: Competition Act: number and value of prizes, the odds, and fair, timely selection
Quebec: Publicity contest filing rules repealed in October 2023
Charity raffles: Licensed by each province under section 207
Electronic raffles: Ontario and Alberta require registered suppliers with approved systems

02 The models

Two sides, three models.

Section 206 of the Criminal Code makes most paid-entry chance games illegal unless a licensed charity or the province runs them, so draws follow one of these paths.

Promotional contests

Businesses remove the payment element with a no-purchase entry route and add a skill-testing question, so winners are not decided by chance alone.

Charitable raffles and 50/50s

Eligible charities run raffles, 50/50 draws and Catch the Ace under a provincial licence, with rules on eligibility, proceeds and where buyers are located.

Electronic raffles

Online raffles must run on approved systems in some provinces. Ontario requires a registered supplier with an approved solution, and Alberta requires a registered supplier and a random number generator draw.

+ Know before you run

What operators need to know.

A skill-testing question is standard for contests, answered by the selected entrant before a prize is awarded.
The Competition Act requires fair disclosure of the number and value of prizes and the odds, and no undue delay in awarding them.
Quebec repealed its publicity contest filing, duty and security rules in October 2023, so new contests no longer file with the RACJ.
Electronic raffles in Ontario and Alberta must use systems from registered suppliers approved by the regulator, and buyers must be in the province.
In Ontario, the AGCO licenses electronic raffles and raffles over $50,000, and a charity can run no more than four online raffles at once.

03 Questions

Common questions.

Why do Canadian contests have a skill-testing question?

Because the Criminal Code prohibits paid-entry games decided by chance, or by mixed chance and skill. A no-purchase entry route and a skill-testing question keep a contest outside that prohibition.

Do contests in Quebec still need to be registered?

No. Quebec repealed its publicity contest rules in October 2023, so new contests no longer file with the RACJ or pay duties.

Can charities run online 50/50 raffles?

Yes, under a provincial licence. Ontario and Alberta require the electronic raffle system to come from a registered, approved supplier, and buyers to be located in the province.

What does the Competition Act require of contests?

Adequate and fair disclosure of the number and approximate value of prizes and anything that materially affects the chances of winning, with prizes awarded without undue delay and winners chosen by skill or at random.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on exactly how a draw is run, so take advice for your own model. Reviewed September 2026.

04 Access

Running draws in Canada? Talk to us.

Every Blockdraws draw is sealed in advance and verifiable by anyone. Tell us your province and how you run draws today.

Blockdraws is white-label draw software with every draw verifiable by anyone. Available by application.

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