Bill Detail
An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Indian Act
This enactment amends section 207 the Criminal Code to provide that the governing body of a First Nation has exclusive authority to conduct and manage a lottery scheme from or within its reserve and to license the conduct and management of a lottery scheme by other persons and entities from or within its reserve, if the governing body of the First Nation has provided notice to the Government of Canada and the government of any province in which the reserve is located of its intention to exercise that authority.
This enactment also amends the Indian Act to grant the council of the band authority to make by-laws for the purposes of regulating the operation, conduct and management of lottery schemes permitted from or within the band’s reserve under section 207 of the Criminal Code.
Bill S-241 aims to give First Nations the exclusive authority to manage and conduct lottery schemes on their reserves. It allows First Nations governments to license others to run lotteries on their land as well, provided they notify the federal and provincial governments. The bill also updates the Indian Act to allow First Nations councils to create by-laws for regulating these lottery schemes.
This legislation impacts First Nations by affirming their inherent right to self-government and control over activities like gaming on their territories. It also affects individuals and organizations wishing to conduct lottery schemes on reserves, as they will now need licenses from the First Nation governing body. The bill acknowledges and supports the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.