Hockey team out of luck for lottery licence but Township of Wilmot takes shot at changing Ontario rules

The Township of Wilmot is calling for changes to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) rules that govern the issuance of lottery licences to amateur sports organizations.

The township's effort comes after a local Junior C hockey team that has relied for years on revenue from 50/50 draws learned this year that it was not eligible for a licence.

"Our organization is in a state of fear that losing the fundraiser we rely on will financially cripple our organization's future in Wilmot," New Hamburg Firebirds president Gord Mills told a council meeting July 24.

"Seventy years of hard-working volunteers could be gone in very short order."

The Firebirds play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL), the third tier of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association. 

At issue is the AGCO's definition of an eligible amateur sports organization. It only includes organizations that serve youth under 18, people with disabilities, or people representing Ontario or Canada in the Olympic, Pan-American or Commonwealth Games. 

Junior hockey players are ages 16 to 21, and the AGCO criteria require that a majority of a team's players be under 18 to qualify for a lottery licence, meaning the same team could qualify one year and not another depending on the composition of its roster.

Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen told council Monday she had already brought the matter to the attention of Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris and had begun drafting a letter to the AGCO. 

Salonen told CBC News she'd also like to find an MPP willing to champion the issue with a private member's bill.

"Hockey is beloved across the country, so we do see it as a win-win opportunity," she said.

Current rules 'do not work for rural Ontario'

Council passed a resolution Monday endorsing the lobbying effort while also pledging to look for ways to ease the team's financial pressures, such as by reducing its ice-time fees. 

Coun. Lillianne Dunstall argued changing the lottery rules is a matter of fairness and equity. 

"The commission's current age restrictions for minor sports teams just do not work for rural Ontario," Dunstall told council. 

"Townships do not have the same talent pool to draw from as the urban centres and in order to remain competitive, they need to widen their net to include older players."

Municipalities issue certain types of lottery licences on behalf of the province, including for raffles with prizes valued under $50,000 — the category of licence that covers most 50/50 draws. 

New staff in Wilmot had recently begun reviewing the lottery licence applications to make sure they complied with provincial eligibility laws, said Chad Curtis, deputy clerk for the township. 

That was when they discovered the current Firebirds' roster disqualified the team. 

"The Firebirds are a valued member of the community. They've been here for over 70 years. They thought they were doing everything correct," Curtis said.

Differing approaches to lottery licence rules

The PJHL's commissioner told CBC News he reached out to the league's other 62 teams after learning of the Firebirds' plight. 

The feedback so far has revealed differing approaches to interpreting the AGCO regulations, Terry Whiteside said.

"It really depends on ... your municipality, how strict they want to be on the rules," he said. "A lot of them are saying, 'You're not youth hockey. You're adult hockey.'" 

One municipality told a local team to partner with a community group.

Whiteside previously coached and managed the Hanover Barons, and said he sometimes conformed to the AGCO rules by including affiliated players on the team's roster — players in under-18 leagues who get called up periodically to play for the junior team. 

He expressed exasperation that corporations can legally operate casinos in small communities, such as Elora and Hanover, but community-based sports teams struggle to meet eligibility requirements.

"People don't get hooked on a 50/50 draw," he said. "They get hooked on the excitement of the lights and the bling of casinos." 

Whiteside believes the AGCO needs to expand its eligibility requirements to allow more community sports organizations to fundraise using lotteries. 

"Not just hockey teams, but, you know, the local gymnastics club," he said.  

"Maybe they've got a wide range of participants from youth through young adults participating and being a good member in the community.  A lot of these organizations are what their communities are built on."

The AGCO told CBC News in an emailed statement that it has not yet received any communication from the Township of Wilmot.

It added, however, that "as part of our practice with all municipal partners who submit questions or comments, any request from the township will be thoroughly considered and given due attention."