Bigger jackpots, tougher rules for Chase the Ace in Nova Scotia

When a simple fundraiser called Chase the Ace started drawing thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of dollars to Inverness, N.S., regulators decided they needed to tweak the rules to keep everyone safe.

Service Nova Scotia's Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division regulates such lotteries to protect the players and the people who run the games. SpokeswomanCarleySampson said the most recent changes came in September and will impact about three per cent of Chase the Ace games.

Some of the changes are designed to help people handle big sums of cash and others to deal with crowd control. Here's an edited email interview with Sampson.

Q: What have you learned since Chase the Ace started?

Sampson: Chase the Ace is a relatively new twist to the traditional 50/50 lottery so, as each large one occurs, both we and the licensee are learning from the unique circumstances of each large game. We have been making rule changes since the first game was played in Nova Scotia in 2012 to ensure both those who play these games and the licensee are protected.

One specific improvement we are seeing is that many licensees are making their own decision to start their game using stub tickets, which are more secure and will ensure, for example, that duplicate tickets do not exist. Stub tickets also protect these games from fraud. The Northside Chase the Ace, for example, made their own decision to start their game using stub tickets.

Q: What issues have arisen?

Sampson: As the regulator, our role is to ensure that charitable gaming in Nova Scotia is operated with integrity and fairness. This includes working to ensure all possible risks are mitigated. Possible risks include theft, duplicate tickets, fraud and so on.

Q: What are the new rules?

Sampson: The most recent changes are:

1)We require a chartered accountant to provide ongoing oversight for all Chase the Ace games that hit $50,000. This oversight must be provided on an ongoing basis until the prize is won.

2)If a licensee is using roll tickets, we will require licensees to use unique identifiers on their roll tickets once a jackpot reaches $50,000.

3)If a jackpot reaches $100,000, the licensee must switch to stub tickets, which are printed tickets which require the purchaser to write their name and phone number on the ticket. We are already seeing some licensees start their games using stub tickets.

4)We will require the licensee to notify officials from Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco once a jackpot reaches $50,000 so that our staff can provide additional support and oversight. For example we will require a security plan.

Since 2012, we have issued just over 700 licenses for Chase the Ace games and only 22 games to date have had jackpots in excess of $50,000.

Q: Tickets were only available one day of the week. Are they available all week now?

Sampson: Any licensee who chooses to start their game using roll tickets can only sell these tickets on the day of the event. Any licensee who choosesto start their game with stub tickets (which have a name and phone number on them) can sell them throughout the week at multiple approved locations. This has always been the case for any ticket lottery.

Q:When were the changes brought about?

Sampson: The most recent changes were implemented in September 2016. They only impact new licensees and do not apply to Chase the Ace games that were in play before Sept. 30, 2016. The changes were, and continue to be communicated, to any new licensee who applied for a license since Sept. 30, 2016.

• Gambling, addiction and Chase the Ace