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How is Zeffy free?
How is Zeffy free?
Zeffy relies entirely on optional contributions from donors. At the payment confirmation step - we ask donors to leave an optional contribution to Zeffy.
Verdict: BC's charitable gaming licence system is navigable for most nonprofits — the main task is matching your event to the right licence class and filing early enough to clear processing times.
What works: Four clearly tiered licence classes (A–D) with transparent fee and revenue thresholds; online ticket sales explicitly permitted under Class A and B with four defined conditions; Zeffy fits cleanly as a PCI-compliant payment processor for the ticket-sale half of the workflow.
What doesn't: GPEB references across older guides are now stale — BC transitioned to the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) in 2024, so any pre-2025 resource citing GPEB as the regulator needs to be treated with caution.
Best for: Registered BC nonprofits running ticket raffles, 50/50 draws, bingo events, or pull-ticket fundraisers with projected gross revenue under or over $20,000.
Worth considering if: Your event needs fully electronic ticket distribution (no printed or mailed ticket) — that requires an approved Electronic Raffle System, not just a payment platform.
British Columbia's charitable gaming rules aren't the obstacle most nonprofits think they are. The real friction is figuring out which tool sits where in the workflow: which licence class fits your event, which forms the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) wants, and where a payment platform like Zeffy fits versus where a licensed Electronic Raffle System has to step in. This 2026 guide walks through all of it: licence classes A through D, eligibility, the application process, and the four IGCO conditions for selling tickets online.
Quick note before we get into it: yes, you can use Zeffy's 100% free event management software for nonprofits (we don't even charge transaction fees) to sell raffle tickets online in BC. There are a few specific conditions IGCO requires, and we cover them in the online-sales section below. We've also published a step-by-step on setting up your online raffle, but keep reading first.
What You Need to Know About BC Gaming Licences in 2026
The most important update for 2026: BC's charitable gaming regulator changed in 2024. The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB), which had regulated charitable gaming in BC for decades, transitioned its licensing and enforcement functions to the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO). If you're working from any guide, checklist, or internal template that still references GPEB as the licensing authority, treat it as outdated.
For nonprofits, the practical impact is primarily administrative: the regulatory body issuing licences, setting rules, and receiving post-event reports is now IGCO. The licence classes (A through D), the eligibility framework, the online-sales conditions, and the record-keeping requirements remain substantively intact under IGCO. What has changed is where you go, who you contact, and which portal you use.
All references to GPEB in this guide reflect the current IGCO framework. Where older gov.bc.ca links remain active and point to unchanged rule documents (such as the Licensed Charitable Gaming Rules PDF), those links are preserved; confirm currency directly with IGCO before relying on any specific document for a live application.
What counts as a lottery in BC?
In classic Canadian style, the definition varies ever so slightly from province to province. In British Columbia, licensed charitable gaming is regulated by the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO). According to IGCO, three elements must all be present for an activity to be considered gaming:
Consideration: players must pay or exchange something of value to be eligible to participate.
Prize: an award of money or anything of value.
Chance: the outcome cannot be pre-determined or determined solely by skill.
IGCO is the body that issues charitable gaming licences to BC nonprofits, and it sets the rules for how every raffle, bingo, 50/50, pull-ticket, and wheel of fortune event must be run.
Who can apply for a BC charitable gaming licence?
Only eligible nonprofit organizations can run gaming activities for fundraising in BC. Your organization generally qualifies if it:
Has been operating for at least 12 months in BC
Provides programs that directly benefit the community
Has a democratic structure with elected board members
Uses funds for charitable rather than commercial purposes
Quick eligibility checklist before you apply:
☐ Incorporation or registration documents on hand
☐ Most recent board meeting minutes and current board roster
☐ Description of community-benefit programs your organization runs
☐ Bank account in the organization's name (for proceeds and reporting)
Types of charitable gaming activities allowed in BC
IGCO licences cover a specific set of gaming activities. Each maps to one or more of the licence classes below.
Ticket raffles and prize draws: the most common nonprofit format. Tickets are sold against a defined prize pool with a draw at a published date. Usually Class A, B, or D depending on projected revenue.
50/50 draws: half the gross sales go to the winner, the other half to your cause. Often run alongside a larger event. Usually Class B or D.
Bingo events: licensed bingo sessions, including for community fundraising. Class A or B depending on revenue.
Pull-tickets (break-open tickets): pre-printed tickets purchased on the spot. Class A or B.
Wheels of fortune: spin-to-win games of chance. Typically tied to a larger gaming event under a Class A, B, or C licence.
Social occasion casinos: casino-style games for one-off charitable events. Class A or B.
For the official list of permitted activities and the specific rules attached to each, see IGCO's licence classes and types page.
BC gaming licence classes explained: Class A, B, C, and D
IGCO issues four classes of charitable gaming licence. The class you need depends on projected gross revenue and the type of event. Numbers below reflect the fee schedule that has been published on the IGCO site; always confirm the current schedule against the official IGCO licence classes page before you apply.
Licence class
Revenue limit
Application fee
Processing time
Best for
Class A
More than $20,000 projected gross revenue
$50
8 to 10 weeks
Annual galas, large raffles with major prizes, multi-event campaigns
Class B
$20,000 or less projected gross revenue
$25
Up to 10 business days
Community raffles, mid-size 50/50s, single-event fundraisers
Class C
Gambling events at Registered Provincial Fairs and Exhibitions only
$150
Up to 10 weeks
Fairs, exhibitions, multi-day public events
Class D
$5,000 or less projected gross revenue
$10
1 to 2 weeks
Small community draws, single-prize raffles, low-volume 50/50s
One thing that trips up first-time applicants: you'll need a separate licence for each distinct event, not one licence per year. If you run an annual gala raffle and a separate summer 50/50, that's two applications.
Step-by-step: how to apply for a BC gaming licence
The application happens through IGCO's online portal. Here's the practical sequence:
1.Create a Gaming Online Service account. Start at IGCO's online service portal. You'll register your organization once and reuse the account for every future application.
2.Read the rules first. Before you fill anything in, read the Licensed Charitable Gaming Rules (PDF) and the relevant Licence Application Guide for your event type. Most refusals come from missing a rule the applicant never opened.
3.Gather your eligibility documents. Incorporation papers, board roster, most recent financials, and the community-benefit program description listed in IGCO's documents and forms.
4.Complete the application form. You'll need: the full legal name and address of your organization and its general purpose; every gaming event location, date, and time; the type of gaming event (ticket raffle, bingo, 50/50, etc.), the number of tickets, pricing, and prize details; a clear statement of how net proceeds will benefit the community or specified third party; and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the required board contacts.
5.Pay the application fee. $10 to $150 depending on class (see the table above). Paid directly through the portal.
6.Wait for processing. Build the processing window into your event timeline. Class A and Class C events need a 10-week buffer; Class B can clear in 10 business days; Class D in one to two weeks.
7.Receive your licence and display it at the event. Once approved, IGCO sends the licence with terms and conditions. The licence (and your terms) must be available on-site at the event.
Online ticket sales for nonprofits in BC: the four IGCO conditions
This is the part that confuses most BC nonprofits, so we'll be specific. IGCO explicitly allows online payment methods for ticket sales tied to Class A and Class B events, but only when four conditions are met. These four conditions are the operational spine of doing this correctly.
1.The payment platform handles the transaction only, not the draw. The platform can accept payment and issue the ticket purchase record. It cannot conduct the draw, automate winner selection, or distribute prizes. That's the licensee's job, or a licensed Electronic Raffle System's (ERS) job.
2.The buyer's address must be in British Columbia. Online tickets sold outside BC violate the licence. Your checkout has to capture and verify a BC address.
3.The payment method must be PCI compliant. Card data has to be handled to PCI-DSS standards. Zeffy is PCI compliant.
4.The ticket must be printed by the organization and sent to the buyer by mail, or scanned and emailed. The licensee produces and delivers the physical or scanned ticket. If you want to distribute the ticket entirely electronically (no printed original), you need ERS approval.
This is where Zeffy fits cleanly. Zeffy can only be used as a method for accepting payment and recording the ticket purchase. Zeffy is built for exactly the first half of IGCO's online-sales workflow: PCI-compliant payment processing, BC-address capture at checkout, and a per-buyer purchase record your organization uses to print and send tickets. Zeffy does not conduct the draw, does not automate winner selection, and is not a registered Electronic Raffle System. Zeffy is not on the IGCO-approved ERS vendor list and does not hold GLI certification.
If your event needs fully electronic ticket distribution (no printed or emailed scanned ticket), you'll need an ERS. To apply, choose the Electronic Raffle System option when you apply for a Class A or Class B licence, and include the online gaming addendum and your gaming service provider contract. The full electronic raffle ruleset is in section 12 of the Licensed Charitable Gaming Rules.
None of this is legal or compliance advice. Defer to IGCO for the binding rules that apply to your event.
IGCO requires specific information on every printed raffle ticket. Get this wrong and your licence is at risk, even if everything else was done correctly. We've put together a sample ticket showing where each required element lives:
Side A:
Side B:
You can also use IGCO's official ticket raffle sample ticket as a reference. Our companion guide on how to make raffle tickets walks through the layout in more detail and includes templates that already have the IGCO-required fields in place.
Record-keeping and reporting after your event
IGCO requires every licensee to keep gaming records and submit post-event reports. Get the bookkeeping habits set up before the event runs and the reporting step is almost automatic.
What IGCO expects you to keep, at minimum five years:
Ticket sequences and numbering systems (every issued and unissued ticket accounted for)
Sales records with dates, locations, and the person who handled the sale
Cash-handling and reconciliation forms
Winner selection documentation and witnessing records
Prize distribution confirmation signed by the winner
Every expense related to the gaming event, with receipts
Bank statements showing gaming-fund deposits and expenditures (gaming proceeds should sit in a dedicated account)
Practical setup that holds up to an IGCO review:
Use pre-numbered duplicate receipts for all in-person transactions
Pair a digital tracking system with the paper records (so reconciliation isn't a year-end scramble)
Have two people count and verify cash receipts
Photograph the draw and the winner-selection process
Common mistakes BC nonprofits make on gaming licence applications
The application form is straightforward; the operational mistakes around it are what cause refusals and licence problems. Watch for:
Applying too late. Class A applications take 8 to 10 weeks. If your gala is in three months, you're already cutting it close. Treat the processing window as a hard event-planning constraint, not a guideline.
Picking the wrong licence class. Projecting $19,000 in revenue and applying for Class B sounds safe, but if ticket sales blow past $20,000 you've technically run an unlicensed Class A event. When you're near the threshold, apply Class A.
Missing eligibility documents. Incorporation papers, board roster, and the community-benefit description are the most-skipped items. Have them in a shared folder before you start.
Conflating payment processing with ERS. Selling tickets online through a PCI-compliant platform like Zeffy is allowed under Class A or B. Running the draw electronically is not, unless you have an approved ERS. Mix the two up and your licence is at risk.
Not displaying the licence at the event. The licence and its terms must be available on-site. Print a copy and bring it.
Selling tickets to buyers outside BC. Online checkout must restrict purchases to BC addresses. A single out-of-province sale is a licence violation.
Using pre-2025 GPEB guides as your reference. Any checklist or template that still names GPEB as the licensing authority predates the 2024 transition to IGCO. Verify all procedural details directly against current IGCO materials before you file.
BC gaming licence resources and IGCO contact information
Every official resource you'll need, in one place:
IGCO main site (current regulatory authority for BC charitable gaming)
Once your licence is in hand, Zeffy gives you a 100% free way to run the payment side of the workflow: online raffle ticket sales with PCI-compliant checkout and BC-address capture, plus a full event ticketing system for everything else you're running this year. We don't charge transaction fees, platform fees, or subscription fees, so 100% of what your supporters pay goes to your cause. Just remember the IGCO rule: Zeffy handles the ticket purchase, your organization handles the draw.
How to Get a Lottery License in Quebec for a Nonprofit (2026 Guide)
Online charitable lotteries. 50/50 draws in Quebec. Eligibility for a nonprofit or charity lottery licence. Zeffy can help make sense of lotteries in Quebec.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
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