While some see gambling as a way to earn money, it can also be used to support charities. Many gaming centres partner with the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association (OCGA) to support hospitals, food banks, and even art programs. Our article will go through the programs and how charity gaming supports them.
How Does Charity Gaming Support Programs?
Charity gaming refers to events run by charity organizations to help raise funds for various programs. These organizations must first register with the local municipality and must have charitable purposes that support people in Ontario. Similar to the complete list of the best Ontario online casinos, these events are hosted at dedicated centres, such as:
- Jackpot Time in Timmins
- Bingoland Gaming Center in Ottawa
- Cambridge Gaming Center in Cambridge
- Delta Bingo & Gaming in Niagara Falls
- Bingo World in Newmarket
After registering, organizations send volunteers to these centres, where they fulfil various roles and promote their charity’s activities. The revenue split gives 45% to the charities, which count as lottery proceeds. Organizations also receive monthly fundraising dollars based on the number of time slots their volunteers attend. The OCGA also partners with Ontario Lottery and Gaming and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Types of Charity Games
Gaming centers generally run lotteries, with revenue from ticket sales. However, thanks to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming and Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario, these centers can provide even more game types. The most popular one is charitable electronic bingo, but players can also try:
- Electronic raffles
- Paper Bingo
- Break Open Tickets
While bingo and lotteries are licensed by local municipalities, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario licenses break-open tickets and e-raffles. The centers also sell food and beverages, which provides some additional revenue for the charities.
Music Program
One of the projects supported by the OCGA is Spreading the Joy of Music. It’s organized by the Music at the Towers orchestra program, which offers private music lessons to children. Spreading the Joy of Music pairs students, accompanied by an adult, with various senior citizens who haven’t received a visitor in a year. Students go through three levels of education, including:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Music at the Towers itself helps foster children’s love of the art by offering affordable lessons, with graduates moving on to the Rosebud Youth Orchestra. Sponsors also help provide the charity with equipment and space for their activities. Similar to the Tucson Festival of Books, this program supports children’s interest in the arts.
Art Program
Another program supported by charitable gambling involves art exhibitions. In November 2020, the Peterborough art center, Artspace, hosted exhibitions of works by regional artists. The first one was “Breaking Down Stereotypes”, which challenged people’s perception on indigenous people and celebrated personal identity. Some of the participating student artists included:
- Tristan Nugent
- Autumn Cooper
- Angeni Lovelady
The second exhibition was called “Around” and featured images Peterborough Artist John Climehange took of the town during the pandemic. Artspace also hosts various workshops and events to help the community, just like the West Hollywood Book Fair.
Theatre Program
The Talk is Free Theatre is a company that produces various immersive musicals and plays. One of their most popular productions is The Curious Voyage, which transports spectators from Barrie to London through interactions and installations that make them part of the play. Instead of just interacting with artists at panels like in the Brooklyn Book Festival. Some of their other popular works include:
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Blackbird
- Assassins
The theatre offers young people mentorship from experienced artists in subjects like stage combat, and they can even perform in productions. Artists also sometimes host high school classes, and the theatre had a 3-year outreach program that provided mentorship to over 300 young people.
Other Programs
Aside from the arts, gaming charities support many other crucial programs, such as food banks. Some of the other fields in which the OCGA helps with funding include:
- Youth sports programs
- Education
- Community support
- Health and social services
Overall, charity gaming is a great source of revenue for community programs or educational institutions. While many still think gambling is just a form of entertainment, it can be important in sustaining charity organizations and their activities.
