Edmonton Oilers respond to allegations made about their 50/50 program
The Edmonton Oilers have responded to a story published on Friday morning regarding their 50/50 raffle.
A report from Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF) claims that the Oilers’ 50/50 raffle has paid more than $81 million to a private company owned by the Oilers Entertainment Group.
Payments were reportedly made to a company called “Win50” between 2021 and 2024. Rather than 50 per cent, the report alleges the charity receives closer to 20 per cent of the money raised.
This story has quickly gained a lot of attention, and the Oilers have responded.
In a statement shared with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the Oilers pointed to “misleading” figures in the report, and noted that Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis provides oversight of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF), which includes reviewing and approving of all expenses.
“It does not account for the substantial marketing, operating, and capital expenses required to build and operate the EOCF 50/50. The IJF blurs this distinction and ignores the fact that expenses drastically reduce the amount that actually remains with Win50,” the Oilers stated.
No team in the NHL generates more money for its 50/50 jackpots than the Oilers, who regularly award multimillion dollar prizes. The Oilers claimed they set a new pro sports record in 2024, with $18 million raised during their playoff run.
The Oilers mentioned that since working with Win50, their ticket sales have increased from $25 million between 2017 to 2020, all the way to $318.7 million from 2020 to 2024.
“More money is going to Alberta charities than ever before because of the strategic investments in operational excellence, not despite them,” the Oilers claim. “The IJF’s comparison to smaller raffles ignores the massive scale and complexity of operating across all of Alberta versus limited local operations.”
The Oilers have responded to this reporting, which they say "fundamentally misleads readers … by focusing on percentages rather than the unprecedented charitable impact being delivered to Alberta communities."
More here: https://t.co/BcdrJD8QKj https://t.co/J2YMhpnqYH pic.twitter.com/9e8hUUHzKM
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 26, 2025
“The EOCF operates under strict regulatory oversight when an independent Board of Directors (9 of 12 members independent of OEG) and annual independent audits. We remain fully committed to transparency and maximizing charitable impact.”