Ontario’s Charitable Bingo and Gaming Centres may not generate the same buzz as retail and online casinos, but they do just as much for their host communities as any other gaming provider.
When you play at one of the 37 cGaming locations in the province, a portion of the proceeds goes directly to Ontario charities and non-profits.
Since 2005, charitable gambling centres have generated more than $460 million for local communities across Ontario.
Where do Ontario charitable gambling funds go?
These funds have gone towards a variety of initiatives, including:
- Health and social services (hospitals and mental health programs)
- Community support (Foodbanks and service clubs)
- Senior services (Meal services and home care support)
- Arts and culture (Funding for theatre, music, visual arts, and cultural heritage)
- Youth sports (Programs for children under 18)
- Religious groups (Support for places of worship and religious activities)
Trio of organizations brought ’21st Century’ update to cGaming centres
Recently, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation partnered with the Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario and the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association to revitalize these gaming centres by introducing more contemporary options alongside its traditional offerings.
Patrons can now enjoy new items such as electronic bingo, TAP ‘N Play cabinet and side games, and Play On Demand personal bingo, in addition to classic bingo fare like paper bingo and break-open tickets.
Earlier this year, Ontario’s bingo scene received another shot in the arm from Delta Online Bingo. In late May, the brand with 50-plus years in the Ontario casino game became the province’s exclusive online bingo provider. According to the iGaming Ontario website, Delta Bingo Online is, presently, the only regulated online bingo site in the province.
Charitable Gaming Conference 2023 on the horizon
Two leading forces in the cGaming industry, the CGAO, and OCGA, not long ago announced this year’s Charitable Gaming Conference will take place on Nov. 7 and 8 at the Delta Hotel conference centre in Toronto.
Both organizations play an integral role in advocating for both charities and commercial operators involved in the cGaming sphere. For context, the OCGA’s membership base currently consists of almost 2,000 Ontario charities.
The conference is the only of its kind to focus exclusively on Ontario’s Charitable Gaming Industry. According to the CGAO’s newsletter, The View, the symposium “brings together Charitable Organizations, the Commercial Operators/Vendors and government bodies engaged in Charitable Gaming (both Provincial and Municipal) for two days of networking and informative sessions.”
The organization says more details on the upcoming conference will be announced at a later date.
