Responsible Gambling
If gambling has stopped being fun, calling one of these lines is the simplest first step. No registration, no judgement.
This page lists the provincial helplines available across Canada, the self-exclusion programmes you can enrol in where you live, and the signs that gambling may have become a problem. None of it is medical advice, and none of it replaces talking to someone qualified.
Provincial helplines
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OntarioConnexOntario
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Canada-wideCAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)
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British ColumbiaGambling Support BC
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AlbertaAddiction Helpline (24/7)
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QuebecJeu : aide et référence
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ManitobaGambling Helpline (24/7)
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SaskatchewanProblem Gambling Help Line
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Nova ScotiaGambling Support Network
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New BrunswickGambling Information Line
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Prince Edward IslandPEI Gambling Support Line
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Newfoundland and LabradorGambling Help Line
Self-exclusion programmes
Self-exclusion is a voluntary agreement to be banned from gambling venues, online accounts, or both, for a set period. Programmes and term lengths vary by province: in Ontario, iGaming Ontario must offer six-month, one-year and five-year terms.
BetGuard (iGaming Ontario)
Since 14 May 2026 iGaming Ontario has run BetGuard, a central self-exclusion registry for the regulated online market. Enrolling once blocks access to existing accounts, new account sign-ups and marketing at every regulated online site in Ontario, including OLG.ca, while the exclusion is active. Land-based casinos use OLG’s separate self-exclusion programme.
BCLC Voluntary Self-Exclusion
Run by BC Lottery Corporation. Ask BCLC or Gambling Support BC (1-888-795-6111) which venues and online accounts it covers.
AGLC Self-Exclusion
Run by AGLC. Every regulated online site in Alberta must connect to AGLC’s centralized self-exclusion programme. Ask AGLC which casinos it covers.
Loto-Québec self-exclusion
Run by Loto-Québec. Ask Loto-Québec or Jeu : aide et référence (1-800-461-0140) which casinos and online accounts it covers.
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
An in-person enrolment covers Club Regent, McPhillips Station, the Shark Club and PlayNow.com. A PlayNow-only exclusion can be set inside your account and does not cover the venues.
Saskatchewan voluntary self-exclusion
Covers PlayNow, for terms of 6 months to 5 years. See our Saskatchewan guide for how to enrol.
Atlantic Lottery self-exclusion
Atlantic Lottery’s self-exclusion covers its online play. The land-based casinos in the region run their own programmes; see our Atlantic Canada guide.
Offshore casinos used by players in the rest of Canada offer their own per-operator self-exclusion inside the account settings. Provincial programmes don’t reach offshore operators, so you may need to enrol separately with each operator you’ve signed up with.
Setting limits before you need them
Every reputable operator offers some combination of the tools below. Set them before you start playing rather than after a difficult session. In Ontario, a request to relax a limit takes effect only after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours (AGCO Standard 2.24).
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Deposit limits
Daily, weekly, or monthly caps on how much you can fund your account with.
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Loss limits
Caps on net losses over a period, useful when deposit limits alone are too forgiving.
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Session limits
A maximum time per playing session, after which you’re logged out automatically.
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Reality checks
Periodic on-screen reminders of how long you’ve been playing during a session.
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Cooling-off periods
Short, reversible breaks, 24 hours to a few weeks, that lock your account temporarily.
Signs gambling may have become a problem
Any of these alone is reason for a conversation with one of the helplines above. None of them mean you’re broken or have failed, they mean it’s worth talking to someone trained to listen.