Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Issue 22 - Eighteenth Report of the Committee

Thursday, November 27, 2014

The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs has the honour to table its

EIGHTEENTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred the subject matter of those elements contained in Division 4 of Part 4 of Bill C-43, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 11, 2014 and other measures, has, in obedience to its order of reference of Thursday, October 30, 2014, examined the said subject matter and now reports as follows:

Section 206 of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to sell tickets to a lottery. Section 207, however, legalizes the creation and operation of lotteries run by, inter alia, a provincial government or the board of a fair or an exhibition.

Under paragraph 207(1)(b) of the Criminal Code, a charitable or religious organization may conduct and manage a lottery in a province if the proceeds from the lottery are used for a charitable or religious purpose. However, paragraph 207(4)(c) prohibits these lotteries if they are operated on or through a computer.

Division 4 of Part 4 of Bill C-43 amends section 207 of the Criminal Code to permit charitable or religious organizations to carry out, with the use of a computer, certain operations relating to a provincially-licensed lottery scheme.

The committee heard from Justice Canada officials, who outlined the amendment proposed by Division 4 of Part 4 of Bill C-43, and explained the reasons for it. The committee also heard from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the Ottawa Senators Foundation, both of whom support the amendment.

The committee supports the elements of Division 4 of Part 4 of Bill C-43, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 11, 2014 and other measures.

Respectfully submitted,

BOB RUNCIMAN

Chair