The NH Staff lottery is deemed a "major lottery" by the BC Gaming Commission and is regulated as such. Our Board of directors and staff have all been registered with the Solicitor General and Gaming Branch and are approved gaming providers.

We apply for and receive a gaming license to offer the lottery and must file a complete report to the Gaming Commission at the end of each license period. We (the Foundation) is audited by an independent firm annually AND are also are audited by the BC Gaming Commission each year. This includes providing copies of every document and entry related to the lottery.

Northern Health employees wishing to participate in the "NH Staff Lottery" are required to authorize a payroll deduction for a specified period of time (October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010), only those who have completed and sent the new forms to NH payroll department and then ENTERED in the NHA payroll system will be eligible to participate after October 1, 2009. This is a BC Gaming regulation and only employees with payroll deductions are allowed to enter the lottery.

Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation staff and Directors are NOT allowed to participate in the lottery.

How the draw is done: Each payroll period we receive a master list of all of the NH employees who have had an amount ($5, $10, $15, etc.) deducted from their pay cheques, which also include the total amount deducted for that draw. We divide that total in half and that is what is awarded as the prize.

   

To develop a list of eligible participants, we take the master list and expand it so that each individual entry has a number. So if you pay $10 you have 2 numbers, if you pay $15 you have 3 numbers etc. We have a drum (photo enclosed) that holds small round discs that have a number written on each side. Only those numbers eligible to participate in this week’s draw are in the drum so only those employees who have an amount deducted for this draw are eligible to win.

Due to the fluctuating nature of the payroll deductions there are weeks when we have to go into the barrel and remove some numbers and then there are weeks when we add new numbers – but in every case there is a tag with a number on it for EVERY $5 deduction.

The winner is selected in a public drawing done in the Cafeteria at PGRH at approximately 10:00am of the payroll Friday. The draw is supervised by one of the Directors of the Healthcare Foundation and a staff member. The winning number is selected by a member of the public (not involved in the draw and therefore not eligible to win). They witness the matching of the number on the tag with the corresponding number and name on the master list and sign a document to that effect. We then photocopy the winning tag number and attach the copy to the master list for that draw.

This draw procedure is subject to unannounced audits by the Gaming Commission staff or inspectors as are visits to our offices to inspect the tags, reports and entry forms. (Yes we have a copy of every entry form in our office and payroll has a copy in every employee’s payroll file.)

After the winner has been selected we contact them and then inform (via email) the general staff of NHA. The funds are paid on a gaming cheque to the winner and of course all of the paperwork is subject to public and gaming audits.

This is the process for determining the winner of the NH Staff lottery. We also have and maintain a list of every draw date, winner, total prize pool, prize awarded and this is provided to BC Gaming Commission each year.