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Press release May 10, 2013

New SLGA 50/50 rules may mean more legal and profitable fundraising opportunities for charities across Saskatchewan

 

Is there any event you go to in Saskatchewan that doesn't have a 50/50 raffle? It is rare. 50/50 draws are a quick and easy way for charities, communities and organizations to raise money for worthwhile causes. But many of these Saskatchewan fundraisers are unregistered and illegal. Tap 50:50 is a Saskatchewan electronic raffling company that specializes in 50/50 raffles for charities. CEO Sean O'Hagan is cautiously optimistic about some of the changes coming to the rules around raffles in Saskatchewan and what they mean for charitable fundraising in this province.

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"Small 50/50 raffles are often run illegally here, even though it only costs $20 for a registered charity to get a license from SLGA. Most don't even realize that if they are registered they can apply for a grant of an additional 25%. There is a huge opportunity being missed here, and," he notes, "with the new changes to the rules, there may be even more opportunities for those who register."

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The changes Mr. O'Hagan is referring to are the new SLGA rules for online raffles due for release this summer. "This is a very progressive move and I believe Saskatchewan is the first province to adopt such a rule. Not only is it forward thinking in terms of technology, but it also creates more opportunities for increased revenue for the charities themselves and gives the raffle holders more incentive to register and become legal.However, the devil will be in details."

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The hope is that the new SLGA rules will maximize the fundraising opportunities for the good of this province. Taking home lottery raffles online is great, but the impact will be so much more if 50/50 draws are also included. Current rules state that the sale of 50/50 tickets has to be at an event. This made sense before technology improved communication. The old rules wanted to make sure everybody who bought a ticket had a chance to hear the announcement of who won. However, with the advent of the internet, not only can those who are not at the event have the opportunity to purchase 50/50 tickets, winners can be contacted more securely and almost instantly wherever they are.

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O'Hagan comments, "This might be a great opportunity for the province. It depends on the decisions SLGA makes. Saskatchewan could be at the forefront of technology and charitable giving. If SLGA updates the antiquated rules and allows 50/50 raffles online, charities will have greater incentive to register and legalize their fundraising and the Saskatchewan people will have more of a chance to support causes they love best. If they make the wrong decisions then all the problems associated with illegal raffles will continue to grow."

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For more information contact:
Sean O'Hagan at (604) 200-8275

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Press release Feb18, 2018    see article

The Best Raffle Platform in the World

Sean O’Hagan was looking for a business opportunity when he attended the World Junior Hockey tournament in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2011. He was amazed at the participation and the size of the 50/50 jackpot at the event and he wondered what would happen if the winner was not there to collect the prize. He also marveled at the number of volunteers required to sell the tickets and organize this fundraising initiative.

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That’s when O’Hagan developed the idea for Tap 50/50, the best raffle program in the world.  Fundraisers can sell 50/50 or Chase the Ace tickets to audiences at an event or at home. People can purchase tickets with a credit card and they will be notified when the draw is complete so they can check their numbers, even if they are no longer at an event or they have purchased their tickets from home.

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Fundraisers enjoy the platform as it increases the ease of ticket sales, requires fewer volunteers, and allows for people to be notified when they win. Clients such as SaskTel Centre (The Rush and The Saskatoon Blades), The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Persephone Theatre, Wyant Group Raceway, and The Kinsmen Club are all seeing the benefits of using the system.

Saskatchewan is uniquely positioned to offer the service, as the provincial gambling regulations allow for the online sale of electronic tickets delivered by email. Tap 50/50 also adheres to national online gaming standards.

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“Non-profit and sports organizations may try to sell raffle tickets on their websites, but many of them get shut down,” O’Hagan shares. “Their system is not secure enough for those types of transactions and they do not comply with gambling regulations. Our system is one of the only approved systems in Saskatchewan and we are moving into other provinces.”

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Tap 50/50 continues to work on ways to incentivize members of a sport team or charitable organization to sell more tickets. “Further we use analytics to optimize a raffle’s pricing structures, stretch an organization’s marketing dollars by providing tools to  capturing player information and early sales for subsequent raffles, and streamline the process of getting regulator approval” shares O’Hagan.

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“We love working with organizations to help them achieve and surpass their fundraising goals. Tap 50/50 is making the raffle fundraising process secure, easy and fun.”

 

Founders : Sean O’Hagan

Website: www.Tap5050.com

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