gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge
gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge
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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