Canada

Unless they are run by a province Canada requires that bingo games be conducted to support charitable purposes. It thus provides a contrast case to the UK, where commercial bingo has thrived. Some provincial governments have also launched initiatives to revitalize bingo as a charity revenue source, some of which have led to legal disputes. In addition, bingo is an important topic for aboriginal, First Nations, and Metis groups. Although research on on-reserve casinos has addressed questions about indigenous sovereignty over economic policy, bingo has been largely ignored, even though bingo is far more common as a gambling form than casinos. The Canadian research will focus on provincial bingo revitalization initiatives in British Columbia and Ontario, where regulatory reforms have been debated particularly intensely.

Image: Criminal Code, section 207(1) seen from a different perspective.

Policy Brief