Why Alberta casinos are “charitable”: how the AGLC model works

Why Alberta casinos say “charitable”

Section 207(1) of the Criminal Code allows two main kinds of lawful lottery scheme. Paragraph (a) covers schemes conducted and managed by a provincial government. Paragraph (b) covers those conducted and managed by “a charitable or religious organization, pursuant to a licence issued by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of a province”, if the proceeds are used for a charitable or religious object or purpose. Most provinces run their casinos under paragraph (a). Alberta uses both. The AGLC describes Alberta as the “only province in Canada where charitable organizations are licensed to conduct and manage casino events”.

In practice, two parties work under one roof. A casino operator runs the facility and earns a commission on slot machines. A licensed charity holds the casino event and conducts and manages the table games for its assigned days. The AGLC’s casino proceeds infographic says table games are conducted and managed by charity volunteers, and that the operator and the charity are separate entities. It also says each traditional casino hosts about 180 charities, or about 3,400 casino events a year.

The scale is large. The AGLC reports that in 2024-25 it supported more than 23,000 charitable licences, which raised $422.8 million through charitable gaming. Casino events accounted for 67.6% of that money.

Who can hold a casino licence

The AGLC’s charitable casino licence page lists the requirements. The group must:

• be made up of Alberta volunteers who create, control and deliver its charitable program;
• have an elected executive and no paid members;
• deliver programs that are open to the public;
• be incorporated, with bylaws that follow AGLC policy;
• use the proceeds for one of four recognized purposes: relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion, or other purposes beneficial to the community.

There is no application fee, and the AGLC says reviewing an application takes about six weeks. Its gaming licensing line is 780-447-8600, or 1-800-272-8876 toll-free. Under the AGLC’s Charitable Gaming Policies Handbook, proceeds must be deposited with a recognized financial institution in Alberta. They stay in the group’s gaming account until they are spent on approved uses.

Getting a casino event: regions, wait times and deadlines

The province is divided into 10 casino regions, and a group holds its event in its own region. Only groups based in Edmonton or Calgary may hold events in those cities. The AGLC says wait times run from about one and a half years to more than three years, depending on the region. It sends the group information five months before the quarter in which the event falls, and the group’s forms are due 60 days before the event. A group can ask for its next event only after it has completed the current one.

Each group also hires and pays one or two casino advisors registered with the AGLC. They guide the volunteers through the event days.

Working the event: volunteers and positions

The AGLC’s Casino Licensee Terms & Conditions and Operating Guidelines (form RS/GAM 5481) set the staffing rules. Under section 17.2, a casino with 16 to 50 table games needs at least 25 volunteers, and one with 15 games or fewer needs at least 15. The positions are general manager and an alternate, banker, cashier, chip runner, count room supervisor and five count room staff. Section 17.1(a) reserves the key roles for bona fide members of the charity: general manager, banker, cashier, count room supervisor and advisor.

Every position on that list deals with the table-game money: the bank, the cashier, chip running and the count room. Through these roles, a charity is present at the casino as the licensee that conducts and manages the games. It is not just a beneficiary receiving a donation.

How the money is split

Slot revenue and table-game revenue are handled differently. For slot machines, the AGLC sets fixed shares of net sales, shown in its infographic:

The AGLC notes that from April 1, 2023 the slot commission rate was temporarily increased by 2% of total net sales.

Table games work the other way round. The charity holds the licence, and the casino facility charges a fee from net table-game proceeds. Section 13.2 of the terms caps that fee at 50% in Edmonton and Calgary, 65% in St. Albert, 65% elsewhere for facilities with 350 or more slot machines, and 75% for all others. Under section 13.6, the facility bears the same percentage of any losses. The charity’s own allowed expenses, under section 15.1, are food for volunteers, advisor fees and the cost of administering the pool.

Pooling: why every charity in a region gets the same cheque

Some days at a casino are busier than others, so a charity drawn for a slow Tuesday would earn far less than one drawn for a long weekend. Pooling removes that luck. Under section 16 of the terms, the AGLC administers pooling over three-month periods: January to March, April to June, July to September and October to December. Pool A collects table-game proceeds, and Pool B collects the charities’ commissions from slot machines.

Where a community has two or more casino facilities, pooling is community-wide. The one exception is Ace Casino Blackfoot in Calgary, which does not pool table proceeds. Charities at St. Albert and Camrose facilities pool with all charities. At the end of a quarter, every group that held an event in the same region and quarter receives an equal share. The AGLC issues a statement of distribution and pays by electronic funds transfer, about six to eight weeks after the quarter ends. No advances are paid. If Pool A runs a deficit, it is offset from Pool B. If that is not enough, each charity reimburses an equal share.

Host First Nation casinos

Six host First Nation casinos each have a single designated charity. The AGLC’s host First Nation casinos page lists them:

For a wider look at how gaming is organized in the province, see our Alberta page.

Checklist for a charity board

1. Confirm the group meets every eligibility rule: Alberta volunteers, elected executive, no paid members, public programs, incorporation and AGLC-compliant bylaws.
2. Apply to the AGLC (no fee) and allow about six weeks for review.
3. Expect to wait for an event, from about one and a half years to more than three years depending on region.
4. Open a gaming account at an Alberta financial institution before any proceeds arrive.
5. When the AGLC information package arrives, five months before your quarter, book one or two registered casino advisors.
6. File the event forms at least 60 days before the event.
7. Recruit enough bona fide members for the key roles, and at least 15 or 25 volunteers in total depending on casino size.
8. Budget only the permitted expenses: volunteer food, advisor fees and pool administration.
9. Watch for the AGLC statement of distribution and the EFT about six to eight weeks after the quarter ends.

Volunteering at a casino event means working on a gaming floor. Volunteers who find that environment difficult, or who notice their own play changing, can find support options for Alberta and elsewhere.