MANAGING THE CULTURE SECTION OF THE TRUST FUND
UPDATE ON THE SASK LOTTERIES TRUST FUND The lottery system in Saskatchewan is unique and envied across Canada. For many decades, besides offering the chance to win prizes, Sask Lotteries has served as a successful fundraiser for sport, culture and recreation in the province. It continues to help ensure funds are available to deliver sustainable programs, services and events that provide opportunities for the people of Saskatchewan, and it aids in building active, healthy, vibrant communities throughout the province. Over the past five years, the Culture Section of the Trust distributed over $89.4 million dollars to support Saskatchewan cultural activities. In 2023/24, Sask Lotteries reached over $239 million in ticket sales, which provided approximately $17.1 million to the Culture Section of the Trust. The six-year Lottery Licence Agreement (2024-2029), signed in May 2023 with the Government of Saskatchewan, maintains the licence fee at 3.75 per cent of annual net lottery ticket sales. Another year of positive sales has contributed to the health of the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund, enabling the fundraiser to continue providing stable and consistent support to volunteer-led groups going forward. There is never any guarantees on funding available. In general, the gaming environment is volatile and competitive, and the proceeds generated for the Trust Fund are difficult to predict from year to year. While proceeds continued to grow this year, the Trust Fund bases its annual spending on future projected ticket sales, while maintaining a healthy reserve to protect against a decline in revenues. Even when ticket sales are strong, the Tri-Global partnership remains cautious and focused on ensuring stability of funding going forward. While the Lottery Licence Agreement was signed this year with the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, future agreements will be handled by Sask Sport in partnership with Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS), which also oversees casinos, VLTs, lotteries and online gaming. The province’s gaming and lottery operators, and all beneficiaries of net gaming and lottery income, will remain unchanged, with continued support of sport, culture and recreation in the province.
Through its management of the Culture Section of the Trust (CST), SaskCulture supports a wide range of cultural activities and diverse cultural organizations and groups throughout the province, in addition to its own operations. SaskCulture’s ten- member, volunteer Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the strategic direction, development of policy, and determining annual spending plan allocations for the CST. Spending decisions are done by the Board between January and March of each year, in accordance with the fiscal year of the Trust. GUIDING PRINCIPLES SaskCulture ensures that arms-length adjudication processes are used to support all funding decisions for the CST. Funding decisions are guided by the Sask Lotteries Trust Fund Agreement and SaskCulture’s Cultural Policy. The overarching purpose of the Trust Fund is to effectively and efficiently allocate Trust funds to achieve maximum benefits for the beneficiaries and the public. In achieving this, the Trust Fund is guided by the following principles and goals: • Saskatchewan residents enjoy a quality of life through the provision of quality sport, culture and recreation programs and services that contribute to a healthy province; • Sport, culture and recreation programs strengthen the cultural, economic and social viability of communities in Saskatchewan; • The Trust Fund promotes inclusion, access, equity and fairness for all within the sport, culture and recreation sectors; • Volunteer involvement and sector capacity are recognized as a cornerstone for sustainable sport, culture and recreation sectors; and • The Globals will act in good faith, with honesty, and in the best interests of Saskatchewan residents and will be accountable for the sound management and responsible use of lottery proceeds In managing the Culture Section of the Trust, SaskCulture aims to deliver fair, equitable and accountable funding throughout the province. It relies on its own Cultural Policy to help guide volunteer peer assessment panels in making funding decisions. SaskCulture’s Cultural Policy places emphasis on: • Cultural impact; • Participation and access;
• Organizational effectiveness; and • High standards of accountability.
SaskCulture relies on its beneficiary groups and volunteers to assist with actively promoting lottery ticket sales to preserve this lottery system.
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