Responsible Gambling
Gambling should be entertainment paid for with money you can afford to lose, never a way to make money or fix money problems. A low minimum deposit makes it easy to start small and also easy to deposit again and again. If that is happening, free and confidential help is available in every province.
Signs to take seriously
- Depositing again to win back what you lost.
- Spending more time or money than you planned, more often.
- Borrowing, using credit or money meant for bills to gamble.
- Hiding gambling from people close to you.
- Feeling anxious, irritable or low when you are not gambling.
Tools that help
- Deposit limits. Set a daily, weekly or monthly limit in the casino account before the first deposit. Lowering a limit usually works at once; raising it often has a waiting period.
- Session reminders and time limits, where the casino offers them.
- Cooling-off and self-exclusion. Ask the casino to close the account for a set period. Exclusion at one offshore casino does not cover its sister sites, so request it at each.
- Bank blocks. Many Canadian banks and card issuers let you block gambling transactions on your account.
- Blocking software that stops gambling sites from opening on your devices.
Where to get help
These services are free and confidential. Contact details are on their own websites.
- ConnexOntario
- Free, confidential information and referral for gambling, mental health and addiction services in Ontario, available around the clock.
- Responsible Gambling Council
- Canadian non-profit with information on safer gambling, warning signs, and support for players and families.
- GameSense
- Practical information on how games work, odds and keeping play in check, used by several provincial lottery corporations.
- Gambling Support BC
- Free counselling and support for British Columbians affected by gambling, including family members.
- Jeu : aide et référence
- Free, confidential help and referral service for people in Quebec.
- Gamblers Anonymous
- Peer support meetings for people who want to stop gambling.
- Gam-Anon
- Support groups for the family and friends of people with a gambling problem.
Each province's own lottery corporation also runs a responsible gambling program with local support listings.
Age and Ontario
You must be of legal gambling age in your province: 19 in most provinces, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Offshore casinos are not available to residents of Ontario, which has its own regulated market through iGaming Ontario.