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gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

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Lotteries and Instant W<strong>in</strong> (Scratch) Tickets<br />

The traditional dist<strong>in</strong>ction between a lottery and a raffle is that the prizes <strong>in</strong> raffles consist <strong>of</strong><br />

merchandise rather than cash. However, <strong>in</strong> Alberta the way this dist<strong>in</strong>ction is made concerns<br />

the fact that raffles are operated by ‘charity’ groups, and lotteries are <strong>of</strong>fered by prov<strong>in</strong>cial and<br />

federal governments. The government <strong>of</strong> Alberta also designates <strong>in</strong>stant w<strong>in</strong> scratch tickets<br />

and sports bett<strong>in</strong>g as a form <strong>of</strong> lottery <strong>in</strong> their annual reports. The ma<strong>in</strong> changes concern<strong>in</strong>g<br />

government provided lotteries <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> legal regulation and provision have been as follows:<br />

1969 Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code amendment permits the operation <strong>of</strong> lottery schemes by the federal government or<br />

prov<strong>in</strong>cial governments either alone or <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation with other prov<strong>in</strong>cial governments.<br />

1973 The federal government holds the first national lottery.<br />

1974 The Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLF) (act<strong>in</strong>g on behalf <strong>of</strong> Alberta, BC, SK, MB, YU) is<br />

formed and <strong>of</strong>fers the first prov<strong>in</strong>cial lottery.<br />

1975 WCLF <strong>of</strong>fers the first ‘bearer ticket’ for “The Western” lottery (previously people had registered<br />

their name when participat<strong>in</strong>g).<br />

1976 The Interprov<strong>in</strong>cial Lottery Corporation is created by the prov<strong>in</strong>cial lottery associations (currently<br />

consist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, British Columbia Lottery Corporation,<br />

Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Ontario Lottery and Gam<strong>in</strong>g Corporation, and Lotto-Quebec) to<br />

operate national lotteries on behalf <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ces (provid<strong>in</strong>g direct competition to Lotto<br />

Canada).<br />

1979 The federal government withdrew from <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g lotteries <strong>in</strong> return for $24 million annually from<br />

the prov<strong>in</strong>ces <strong>in</strong>dexed to <strong>in</strong>flation.<br />

1982 Lotto 6/49 is launched as a national lottery game by the Interprov<strong>in</strong>cial Lottery Corporation. First<br />

lottery game where players can choose their own numbers. This will prove to be the most<br />

successful <strong>of</strong> all lottery products and will comprise the majority <strong>of</strong> all Ticket Lottery revenue <strong>in</strong><br />

subsequent years.<br />

1985 Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code amendment gives exclusive ability to operate ‘lottery schemes’ to the prov<strong>in</strong>ces <strong>in</strong><br />

exchange for $100 million, plus the <strong>in</strong>dexed annual contribution agreed to <strong>in</strong> 1979. This same<br />

legislation limits the conduct and management <strong>of</strong> lottery schemes operated on or through a<br />

computer, video device or slot mach<strong>in</strong>e just to prov<strong>in</strong>cial governments.<br />

1986 Instant w<strong>in</strong> (scratch) tickets are sold for the first time by the Western Canadian Lottery<br />

Corporation.<br />

The most readily available <strong>in</strong>dex that speaks to changes concern<strong>in</strong>g the actual availability <strong>of</strong><br />

lotteries concerns the total number <strong>of</strong> lottery ticket retailers as reported <strong>in</strong> Table 6. These<br />

same figures, adjusted for population <strong>in</strong>creases, are displayed <strong>in</strong> Figure 6. Data was not<br />

available from 1974 to 1987.<br />

As can be seen <strong>in</strong> Figure 6, the per adult availability <strong>of</strong> lottery ticket retailers has been fairly<br />

steady s<strong>in</strong>ce the early 1990s.<br />

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