Responsible gambling — tools, signs and help
Gambling is entertainment that costs money. It is not income, it is not a strategy, and no run of results changes the mathematics underneath it. This page sets out the tools available on your account and the free help available across Canada if it stops being a choice.
Every tool below is yours to apply. None of them require a reason, an explanation, or a conversation you would rather not have.
Last updated 20 August 2026
The tools on your account
All of these live in Account → Responsible Gaming and take effect the moment you save them. Reductions are immediate; increases are held for 24 hours so that a decision made in the moment cannot take effect in that moment.
| Tool | What it does | Takes effect |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit limit | Caps what you can deposit per day, week or month | Immediately on decrease |
| Loss limit | Caps net losses over a chosen period | Immediately on decrease |
| Session limit | Ends the session after a set time | Immediately |
| Reality check | Interrupts play at an interval you choose with time and net position | Immediately |
| Cool-off | Locks the account for 24 hours to 6 weeks | Immediately |
| Self-exclusion | Closes access for 6 months to permanent | Immediately, cannot be reversed early |
Support will apply any of these on request and will not ask you to justify it. A self-exclusion cannot be lifted before its end date under any circumstances — that is the point of it.
Signs worth taking seriously
None of these are moral judgements. They are the behavioural markers that clinicians and helplines actually use.
- Playing longer or for more than you planned, repeatedly
- Chasing losses — increasing stakes to recover a deficit
- Gambling with money set aside for bills, rent or food
- Borrowing, selling or hiding transactions to fund play
- Lying to people close to you about time or money spent
- Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down
- Gambling to escape stress, low mood or loneliness
If two or more of these are familiar, set a cool-off today and call one of the numbers below. They are free, confidential and staffed by people who have heard it before.
Free help across Canada
| Service | Coverage | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| ConnexOntario | Ontario | 1-866-531-2600 · 24/7 |
| BC Responsible & Problem Gambling Program | British Columbia | 1-888-795-6111 |
| AHS Addiction Helpline | Alberta | 1-866-332-2322 |
| Problem Gambling Helpline | Saskatchewan | 1-800-306-6789 |
| Manitoba Addictions Helpline | Manitoba | 1-855-662-6605 |
| Jeu : aide et référence | Quebec | 1-800-461-0140 |
| Gambling Information Line | Nova Scotia | 1-888-347-8888 |
| Gamblers Anonymous | Canada-wide | gamblersanonymous.org |
| Responsible Gambling Council | Canada-wide | responsiblegambling.org |
Protecting minors
Gambling is restricted to adults: 19 and over in most of Canada, 18 and over in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Every account is age-verified against government identity documents before a withdrawal is permitted.
If a young person shares your device, install filtering software and never store casino credentials in a shared browser profile.
- Gamban — blocks gambling sites and apps across devices
- BetBlocker — free, open source, no account needed
- GamCare — guidance for families and friends
Practical habits that help
- Set the deposit limit before the first deposit, not after a loss
- Treat deposited money as already spent — because statistically it is
- Never gamble to recover a loss; the odds do not remember the last session
- Keep gambling separate from alcohol, and from the hours you are tired
- Withdraw winnings rather than leaving them in the balance
- Take the reality-check prompt seriously when it appears