Is the OCGA mandate limited to just charity gaming issues?

Aren't the Ontario Lottery Corporation's four charity casinos also considered to be "charitable gaming"?

Do I have to be a member of the OCGA to participate in Big Link Bingo?
Yes. Membership is a criterion for participation in Big Link Bingo. The OCGA has a contractual arrangement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation whereby it oversees the distribution of the charitable revenues raised through Big Link Bingo. The mechanism used for this purpose is membership in the OCGA.

Is the OCGA mandate limited to just charity gaming issues?
The primary focus of our association is charitable gaming issues. However, we also track and provide members with advice and information on other issues of general interest to charitable and non-profit organizations, including provincial and federal rules and regulations affecting charitable status.

Aren't the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's four charity casinos also considered to be "charitable gaming"?
Technically speaking, they aren't. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is a commercial agency of government that conducts its operations under Section 207 1a of the Criminal Code of Canada - the section governing commercial gaming. (Section 207 1b of the Code governs charitable gaming.) As such, these are legally considered to be "commercial" rather than "charitable" casinos.

The Ontario Government has made a policy decision to allocate a portion of the revenues from these casinos to charitable purposes to be distributed through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Eligible organizations can make applications to the Trillium Foundation for funding from these revenues.

The OCGA's definition of "charitable gaming" has a critical difference - we emphasize charities as being in charge of the fundraising event and of the distribution and use of funds. Under our definition, funds are raised locally by charitable and non-profit organizations and used locally by these organizations to support their communities.

The OCGA will be monitoring the impact that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's casinos will have on the ability of OCGA members to raise funds locally through charitable gaming in the four communities affected - Point Edward, Sault Ste. Marie, Brantford, and Thunder Bay.