Equitable Provincial Charitable Gaming Model
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) request that the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) expeditiously implement a more equitable provincial charitable gaming model to promote the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of charitable organizations across Alberta.
WHEREAS charitable organizations provide a valuable service across Alberta and their sustainability is of upmost importance to Alberta society;
WHEREAS the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) helps to ensure the sustainability of charitable organizations through revenue generation made possible by volunteer charitable casino events;
WHEREAS an inequitable model for the disbursement of casino revenues to charities currently exists, and the frequency of revenue generating opportunities varies greatly based on location in the province; and
WHEREAS a significant review of Alberta’s charitable gaming model was completed in 2010, and the AGLC has identified this policy review as a future high-priority initiative.
In 2010, after significant stakeholder consultation, a Provincial MLA Advisory Committee provided a report to the Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security on “Eligible Organizations’ Access to and Distribution of Proceeds from Licensed Casino Events.” The Committee recommended the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) consider several changes to casino region boundaries and how proceeds are distributed amongst eligible charities.
Under Alberta’s current model, adopted in 2003, charitable groups that meet certain criteria may be licensed by the AGLC to conduct charity casinos, in coordination with licensed private casino facilities, as a revenue generating opportunity. These revenues are critical for charitable organizations’ sustainability, and ability to provide services to communities across Alberta.
There are 19 casino facilities located throughout Alberta, each of which belongs to a ‘casino region.’ Charities are generally assigned to their nearest casino facility. Only charities located within Edmonton and Calgary, or who provide province-wide services are permitted to receive a license for a casino event in Edmonton or Calgary casinos.
In the 2010 MLA Advisory Report[1], it was identified that inequities exist because:
- There is a long waiting period to hold casino events across the province because there are more charitable organizations than there are possible casino events;
- The waiting period for charities to hold casino events varies, from 16 months in Fort McMurray to 34. 5 months in Lethbridge;
- Amongst casino regions, charitable proceeds can vary, from an average high of $77,486 in the Edmonton region to $18,011 in the St. Albert/Camrose region.
The AUMA had a resolution on this topic that expired in 2012, and the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) formed an Advisory Committee on this topic in 2018, with AUMA Board representation on the Committee.
The City of St. Albert believes that given the increased emphasis placed on this topic in recent months, and the AGLC’s communicated intent to revisit the model, the AUMA can help ensure that the AGLC completes this initiative, by adding its voice to this topic. A more equitable model will benefit the charitable organizations that support Alberta’s cities, towns, and villages.
Figure 1: Casino Region Average Wait Times and Payouts, 2017 (Source: AGLC Correspondence)
| Casino Region | Q3 2017 Wait Time Between Events (Months) |
Q3 2017 Average Payout per Event |
| Calgary | 20.1 | $64,615 |
| Calgary-Rural | 35.8 | $51,346 |
| Camrose | 40.7 | $20,893 |
| Edmonton | 22.7 | $75,942 |
| Fort McMurray | 16.5 | $37,648 |
| Grande Prairie | 31.8 | $35,087 |
| Lethbridge | 33.4 | $30,593 |
| Medicine Hat | 18.9 | $14,814 |
| Red Deer | 35.3 | $22,491 |
| St. Albert | 31.3 | $20,893 |
[1] Please note that the statistics shown here are from 2010; Figure 1 showcases 2017 statistics, which reveal inequities have persisted since 2010.
AGLC’s initial response to this resolution was to advise that a full review of the charitable gaming model would be completed in 2019.
The first phase of this review consisted of a survey of all licensed charitable organizations. The second phase was to include broader engagement with all Albertans; however, the review was then put on hold in anticipation of the 2019 provincial election, in order to wait for direction from the new government. Further work did not resume on this review process prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
In January 2021, AGLC introduced a plan to form working groups to discuss the main themes learned through the survey responses of licensed charitable organizations:
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Wait times and distribution of proceeds from charitable casino events.
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Use of proceeds earned through the conduct of licensed charitable gaming events. i.e. casino, raffle, bingo, and pull ticket.
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Volunteer requirements (charitable casino events).
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Eligibility of charitable organizations for gaming licensing.
Information on all charitable gaming model review activities can be found on the AGLC’s website, including a “What We Heard” report that summarizes the working groups’ concerns with the current model and ideas on possible changes. AGLC is currently assessing the impact of the suggested changes on the whole system, including charitable organizations and other stakeholders in order to form recommendations for consideration by the AGLC Board and the Government of Alberta.
Resolution Closed
Representatives of AUMA participated in the 2021 Charitable Gaming Review Working Groups.
In addition, RMA’s Charitable Gaming Committee released a report in 2018. While AUMA participated in the committee, we did not endorse the final report.