gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

Pull Tickets
Pull tickets are a type of instant win ticket offered by charity/religious groups with sealed
windows or pull tabs that open to reveal symbols, letters, or numbers that correspond to a
specific prize. Prior to 1922 instant-win tickets offered by charitable/religious groups could
theoretically be subsumed under the legal provisions for charitable raffles. However, this
exemption was more doubtful after the 1922 prohibition of ‘punch boards’, which were the
earliest version of a genuine instant win ticket. The main changes concerning pull-tickets in
terms of legal regulation and provision have been as follows:
1922 Criminal Code amendment prohibited punch boards as these devices were often rigged.
1969 Criminal Code amendment to permit the operation of lottery schemes by the federal government
or provincial governments. Provincial governments, in turn, could issue a gaming licence to
charitable or religious organizations, agricultural fairs or exhibitions, or any individual. However
charitable/religious organizations are permitted to operate lottery schemes only if proceeds used
for charitable or religious purposes, tickets cost no more than 50 cents, and the prize does not
exceed $100.
1975 The provision of instant win (pull tickets) offered by charity/religious groups is sanctioned by the
Alberta government.
1985 Criminal Code amendment eliminates the monetary limits on raffle prizes and tickets operated by
authorized charitable or religious organizations.
The main index that speaks to changes concerning the actual availability of pull tickets is the
total number of pull ticket licences issued each year, as reported in Table 2. Data was not
available for 1975 to 1978. These same figures, adjusted for population increases, are shown in
Figure 2.
As can be seen, per adult pull ticket licences increased significantly from 1978 to their peak in
1993. Since 1993 there has been a significant and steady decline.
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