A Newfoundland animal rescue has had to put a 50/50 fundraiser on hold that has generated $149,000 in ticket sales.
New Life Rescue & Adoption Inc., based in Carbonear, launched the 50/50 draw on Feb. 16 to help cover the costs of caring for a cat that came into its care after it was shot on the west coast of the island.
Romeo was found by a resident of West Bay on Feb. 14. At first, it was thought that he’d been hit by a vehicle, but after being seen by a veterinarian, it was determined that he’d been shot and would require surgery.
Romeo was transported to the east coast for the necessary surgery, but his jaw was injured beyond repair, and he’ll need another soft tissue surgery later to try to repair some of the damage to his face. For now, he’s recovering and doing well.
Knowing that the bills associated with his ongoing care will be high prompted the rescue to start the 50/50.
People could email the rescue to purchase tickets, and New Life set a deadline of 8 p.m. on Feb. 20 for sales to end. They planned to draw the winner on Feb. 22.
However, late in the afternoon on Feb. 20, the rescue announced in a Facebook post that the 50/50 was closed and advised people not to send any more E-transfers.
At that point, sales were at $149,000, meaning $74,500 would go to the rescue and $74,500 to the winner.
The rescue said the fundraiser was closed because it had been reported.
New Life Rescue operates as a non-profit charity and issues tax receipts for donations. A 50/50 draw is not considered a donation, and the rescue did not have the licence required to hold the draw.
The rescue said people could consider the money they sent as a donation, or they could request that it be returned.
Many people who responded to the post were quick to tell the rescue to keep their money as a donation.
The rescue is not the first group or individual to undertake a fundraiser like this without a licence, and admits its mistake in another Facebook post. It said it would be speaking with Service NL, which is responsible for lottery licences in the province, and the RCMP about it.
On Monday, Feb. 23, the rescue asked people who wanted a refund to email them. It was also compiling a list of people who wanted to leave it as a donation and said people could comment on the post or also email them.
It also said it had what it needed to send off to the authorities and would be getting the proper licences.
“We are following what we were instructed to make this right,” said the post.
In an email to The Telegram, the RCMP’s media relations department said the Trinity-Conception RCMP received a report of an unlicensed lottery in support of an animal rescue on Feb. 21. It said that organizers were contacted and advised that a licence was required under the Lottery Permit Act.
The RCMP said it was not able to provide any more details as the investigation remains active.
Related
What are the rules around charitable lottery licences in NL?
Charitable lottery licences fall under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Government Services
.
All charitable lotteries and gaming events must be licensed to operate in Newfoundland and Labrador and must be conducted in accordance with the Lottery Licence Regulations under the Criminal Code of Canada. Anyone not adhering to the requirements would be guilty of an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada.
From April 2023 to March 2024, 2,296 charitable lottery licences were issued in the province.
Only eligible charitable, religious and incorporated non-profit organizations, with charitable purposes, may obtain a lottery licence.
That includes:
- Food banks
- Homeless shelter organizations
- Community service organizations
- K-12 schools
- Universities/colleges
- Community service organizations
- Churches
- Mosques
- Synagogues
- Temples
- Youth sport organizations validated by Sport NL
- Adult amateur sport organizations validated by Sport NL
- Recreation committees validated by TCAR
- Museums
- Heritage associations
- Arts organizations
- Cultural organizations
- Boys’ and girls’ clubs
- Scouts and Guides
- Church Lads Brigade
- Cadet organizations
- Seniors’ groups
- Health care foundations
- Hard of Hearing Association
- Mental Health Association
- Cancer Society
- Fire safety organizations
- Search and Rescue organizations.
An organization is ineligible for a lottery licence if it:
- is established as a profit-oriented entity
- does not have a charitable purpose or object
- benefits a private or restricted group of members
- is established solely for the purpose of adult leisure or hobby
- is established for an economic or commercial purpose
- is a sub-group of an eligible organization
- other organizations not meeting the eligibility criteria
Examples of ineligible organizations and purposes include:
- Professional associations
- Economic development organizations
- Unions and employee groups
- Federal, provincial, municipal or local service governments
- Government departments, agencies or other bodies
- Political parties or lobby groups
- Adult hobby groups
- Upkeep or maintenance of service clubs
- Promotion of tourism or other activities that are economic in nature
- Municipal infrastructure or development
- For lobbying purposes or to oppose changes in law or government policy
- Education purposes of members of groups other than K-12 and college and university groups
- Professional development for nurses, teachers and other professionals
- Membership conferences for service clubs
- Membership fees for organizations, their members or staff in professional or recreation associations
- Salaries of support staff
- Operational expenses of the applicant organization
- Organizations established solely for the purpose of fundraising
What is considered a lottery?
A lottery is an event in which you are required to pay a fee, purchase a ticket, or give something to participate in that event in exchange for a chance to win a prize through a process, such as a name draw or other means of random selection.
Applications for
can be made online.