Nova Scotia lottery violation at Halifax legion not criminal, police say

The Vimy Legion in Halifax is seen Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. The vice-president of the Legion branch is accused of claiming over $24,000 of winnings in a Chase the Ace event he helped organize. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Emily Baron Cadloff)

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s gaming authority says a law was broken, but Halifax police say it does not amount to criminal wrongdoing.

According to an agreed statement of fact released by the province, David Long violated the Nova Scotia Gaming Control Act when he claimed more than $25,000 in two separate Chase the Ace lotteries that he helped to organize. Long was the vice-president of the Vimy 27 branch of the Royal Canadian Legion at the time, and held the lotteries at the legion.

Halifax police confirmed in an email that they received a complaint in February regarding the Chase the Ace incidents, and investigated.

Police say the fraud team determined the matter was not criminal, and would be better handled by the provincial Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel & Tobacco authority. They say that there have been “no further police investigations at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 27 since this time.”

According to the statement, Long violated two provincial regulations. He did not keep records related to one of the lotteries he organized, which he was required to do under provincial Ticket Lottery Regulations. He also violated the Gaming Control Act by breeching the terms of the lottery licence, which states that the person conducting a draw or involved in setting up the cards is not eligible to hold a ticket for that lottery.

Long organized a Chase the Ace lottery in 2023, and also played a ticket in the name of his brother-in-law, according to the statement. However, when he pulled the winning ticket, he told the legion treasurer to make the cheque out to him, saying he would send the money to his brother-in-law later.

Instead, Long deposited the $24,594 into his personal account, later telling the police that his brother-in-law did not want the money, according to the statement.

When asked by police if he would return at least half the winnings to the legion, Long replied, “why would I return the money to the legion?” In that same interview with police, Long stated that if members of the public learned of the details of the lottery, there would be an “uproar” as they would believe the game was “rigged.”

A second Chase the Ace incident happened one year later, in July 2024. Long and his wife were both involved in organizing the lottery, and again played a ticket, this time in the name of Long’s sister-in-law, according to the statement.

Long’s sister-in-law won the jackpot that evening, but told officials she was not present at the event, nor did she but a ticket. The statement says she also never received any winnings from the draw.

The statement says that Long collected the money and gave his wife $814.

The Canadian Press was unable to reach Long for comment.

In March, the Vimy 27 Facebook page appeared to post that the branch was “closed indefinitely” by order of the regional Command office. There was no reason given for the closure at the time.

In June, the same Facebook page posted a letter, appearing to come from and bearing the signature of the chairman of the Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command. That letter states that the branch was closed due to both internal and external investigations into “potential unlawful activity at the Branch, dysfunction of the Branch Executive and widespread behaviour which brings the Legion into discredit.”

When the branch appeared to reopen over the summer, the Vimy 27 Facebook account posted that the president, secretary, sergeant-at-arms, treasurer and sports chair were all suspended.

The Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of the Royal Canadian Legion was not immediately available for comment, and has not confirmed those suspensions.

Nova Scotia’s gaming authority barred Long from holding a lottery licence. It also barred the Vimy 27 branch from holding a licence for three years and fined the association $500.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2025.

By Emily Baron Cadloff