Responsible gambling

Help lines by province

Québec is listed first, as on every page of this site.

You don't need to be "in crisis" to call. Asking how to set a limit is a perfectly good reason.

Québec: help and self-exclusion

Jeu : aide et référence answers around the clock and can refer you to free treatment services near you, in French or in English.

Loto-Québec runs its own self-exclusion. Online, it has been reported to range from 3 months to 5 years, closes the account for the period chosen and cannot be reversed early. At a casino or gaming hall, you sign up at the customer-service counter, and that also closes the online account. Those terms come from secondary sources: confirm on lotoquebec.com before you rely on them.

One thing to know. Loto-Québec's self-exclusion covers Loto-Québec only. It does nothing at offshore casinos, so if you play there too, you need to close those accounts separately (most have a self-exclusion option in the account settings or through support).

Ontario: ConnexOntario and BetGuard

ConnexOntario is free and open 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600, or text CONNEX to 247247.

Since 14 May 2026, Ontario has a centralized self-exclusion system called BetGuard, run by iGaming Ontario. One sign-up covers every regulated gaming site in the province, instead of one by one. Reported periods are 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom length; check the current options with iGO when you sign up. The AGCO's notice on the new standards is here.

OLG's own programme is PlaySmart, at playsmart.ca.

Alberta, British Columbia and the rest

Alberta has had central self-exclusion since its regulated market opened on 13 July 2026. Through the AGLC, you can exclude yourself from online gaming, land casinos or both, for 6 months or 1, 2 or 3 years, and it cannot be ended early. Details are on the AGLC self-exclusion page. Support: GameSense AB, and the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322.

In British Columbia, GameSense is BCLC's programme, and the Gambling Support Line is 1-888-795-6111, 24/7. Manitoba and Saskatchewan players use PlayNow, which has its own limit and exclusion tools.

There is no national self-exclusion in Canada. Each province runs its own, which is a bit like snow removal: it depends entirely on where you live.

The Responsible Gambling Council is a non-profit that works on research and prevention across Canada. Its site has plain-language material for players and families.

Legal age

18 in Québec, Manitoba and Alberta. 19 everywhere else.

Casinos that ask for ID before a withdrawal are not being difficult; age checks are part of the deal. If you're under age, close this tab.

Habits that help

None of these is clever. They work anyway.

• Set a deposit limit in the casino account before the first deposit, not after a bad night. (Loto-Québec makes one mandatory; offshore sites usually leave it to you.)
• Decide what the money is for. Entertainment money is gone the moment you deposit it, and that's the right way to think about it.
• Don't chase. A loss followed by a bigger bet is the most common pattern in every help-line report you'll ever read.
• Take breaks, and use the session reminders if the site offers them.
• Keep gambling apart from rent, groceries and the credit card. If the Interac daily limit is the only thing that stopped you, that is a signal.
• Talk to someone. A help line, a friend, your doctor.

Bonuses deserve a mention here. Wagering requirements are designed to keep you playing longer. If a bonus is pushing you to deposit again, turn it down. Our wagering page explains the maths.

Signs it's time to stop

Spending more than you planned, more often. Borrowing to play. Hiding it from people close to you. Feeling irritated when you can't play. Playing to win back what you lost.

One of those is enough reason to call. Start with 1 800 461-0140 in Québec or 1-866-531-2600 in Ontario.