A senior member of a Halifax legion has been stripped of his lottery licence after authorities ruled he illegally collected winnings from two Chase the Ace draws he helped organize. The case, detailed in an agreed statement of facts from Nova Scotia’s gaming regulator, outlines repeated violations of provincial lottery rules.
According to investigators, David Long improperly claimed a $24,594 jackpot in a 2023 Chase the Ace fundraiser and later took home an $814 prize in a 2024 draw. Under Nova Scotia’s Gaming Control Act, anyone involved in conducting or managing a lottery is prohibited from holding a ticket or participating in the draw.
Regulators say Long attempted to bypass the rule by entering the 2023 draw under his brother-in-law’s name. After pulling the winning ticket, he instructed legion officials to issue the cheque directly to him. Long later told police that his brother-in-law did not want the money. Instead, he used the winnings for personal expenses and to purchase a vehicle.
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Staff members at the legion confirmed Long is no longer serving as vice-president and is barred from the premises. When questioned by police about whether he planned to return any funds, Long reportedly refused, suggesting that public knowledge of the situation would cause concerns over the integrity of the game.
Investigators also found that a similar issue occurred in a 2024 Chase the Ace draw overseen by Long and his wife. The prize was announced as won by Long’s sister-in-law, who later told officials she neither attended the event nor purchased a ticket. She also confirmed she never received any winnings.
Long allegedly told officials that his wife drew the winning ticket but was too nervous to identify herself publicly, so he claimed the money on her behalf.
Following the investigation, Nova Scotia’s gaming authority issued a ban preventing Long from holding any lottery licence in the province and imposed a $500 fine on the legion for regulatory breaches.
