S-13.1, r. 1 - By-law respecting bingo

Updated to 12 December 2023

This document has official status.

chapter S-13.1, r. 1

By-law respecting bingo

Act respecting the Société des loteries du Québec

(chapter S-13.1, s. 13).

1. This By-law governs a lottery scheme called Bingo. It is of a pari-mutuel type of has a pre-determined prize structure and is offered to the public in participating hall.

Bingo is played with tickets issued by the Société des loteries du Québec (Company). Each ticket contains one or many cards containing either 6 horizontal rows where the first one forms the word “Bingo” and 5 vertical columns, either any other figure containing squares. The squares of a card are imprinted with a number, an alphanumber or with the term “Gratuit”.

The selected alphanumbers are transmitted by the Company by satellite or other communication device.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 1; O.C. 1207-99, s. 1.

2. Only a charitable or religious organization referred to in paragraph b of subsection 1 of section 207 of the Criminal Code (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46), holder of a bingo licence issued by the Régie des alcools des courses et des jeux and to which the Company awards a retailer’s number can offer Bingo.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 2.

3. Only the holder of a Bingo ticket can participate in Bingo.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 3.

4. The selling price of a Bingo ticket cannot be less than $1 and no ticket may be sold at a price exceeding its face value.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 4.

5. No credit may be given to a player, in any form whatsoever.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 5.

6. The rules of the game, including the method of prize allocation and the prize to be won, must be reproduced in a document available to the public in participating halls.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 6.

7. The alphanumbers are selected by a tumbler or a computer that chooses them randomly.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 7.

8. Unless the rules of the game available to the public in participating halls provide otherwise, the player must mark on each card of his ticket the selected alphanumbers that appear on it and he must, once he notices that he has a winning card, declare it outloud, otherwise he is not entitled to the prize.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 8.

9. When a card declared a winner is determined, after verification, a winning card, the prize corresponding to the winning card is awarded to the holder of the ticket.

However, if the card declared a winner is determined, after verification, not to be a winning card, the prize cannot be paid to its holder and the game continues for this prize.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 9.

10. A prize awarded to a player cannot be claimed later by another player.

If, before awarding the prize, more than 1 player has declared outloud their card a winning card, and, after verification, there is more than 1 winning card, the prize is divided equally among the players of valid winning cards.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 10.

11. Any ticket for which payment by the player was not made prior to the draw for which it is valid, is void.

It is the same for any ticket that is illegible, mutilated, altered, counterfeited, improperly cut, misprinted, incomplete, erroneously printed or otherwise defective, unless it is possible by the control number to determine that the ticket is really a winning ticket.

The holder of an invalid ticket is not entitled to a prize.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 11.

12. All winning tickets must be confirmed by means of its validation number.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 12.

13. The value of the prizes offered each year may not be less than 35% of more than 75% of the total amount of ticket sales.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 13.

14. The holder of a valid ticket, containing a card declared a winner, must claim the prize at the location and within the claiming period indicated on the ticket.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 14.

15. The Company and the organizations referred to in section 2 cannot be held liable for the obligations resulting from the use of a ticket if the rules of the game are not respected.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 15.

16. An amount equivalent to 36.4% of the sales of Bingo tickets minus the value of the prizes paid to the winners of the game or 50% of the Bingo’s net income, if it is a higher amount, is awarded to the charitable or religious organization referred to in section 2.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 16; O.C. 1207-99, s. 2.

17. The Company also pays from its net income after payment of the amounts provided for in section 16, 5.45% of the total amount of the pari-mutuel Bingo ticket sales minus the value of the prizes paid to the winners of this game to charitable organizations or religious organizations, holders of a bingo licence issued by the Régie des alcools des courses et des jeux, who do not participate in Bingo.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 17; O.C. 1207-99, s. 3.

18. From the amount referred to in section 17, the Company pays to each organization referred to in this same section, an amount corresponding to a maximum of 25% of the average net income per event that the organization has held between 1 June 1996 and 31 May 1997, times the number of events indicated in its bingo licence then in force or for the total number of events indicated in the licences issued between 1 June 1996 and 31 May 1997, if it is a lesser number. The average net income is supplied by the Régie des alcools des courses et des jeux.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 18; O.C. 1207-99, s. 4.

19. No symbol, acronym, name or other characteristic used to identify the games covered by this By-law may be used for advertising or any other purpose without the written authorization of the Company.

O.C. 1271-97, s. 19.

20. (Omitted).

O.C. 1271-97, s. 20.

REFERENCES

O.C. 1271-97, 1997 G.O. 2, 5113

O.C. 1207-99, 1999 G.O. 2, 4063