19+ You must be 19 or older to gamble in another province.

Provincial helpline · We earn commissions. Here's how much.

Responsible gambling: limits, help and self-exclusion

Free helplines and self-exclusion programs for each province, the limit tools worth turning on, and the warning signs health services list.

By · updated

Short answer

If gambling is costing you more money or time than you planned, call your province’s helpline below. They are free and confidential, and most answer 24 hours a day. You can also ban yourself from gambling sites through a self-exclusion program. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8.

time on this site, this session

Talk to someone, free

The clock above counts your time on this site in this session. Many casinos let you turn on a similar reminder in your account settings.

Free helplines by province

Numbers are from the official pages listed under Sources. Tell us through the contact page if one does not work.

ProvinceServicePhoneHours
OntarioConnexOntario (also text CONNEX to 247247)1-866-531-260024/7
British ColumbiaGambling Support BC1-888-795-611124/7
AlbertaAddiction Helpline (Recovery Alberta)1-866-332-232224/7
QuebecJeu: aide et référence1-800-461-0140 (Montreal 514-527-0140)24/7
ManitobaGambling Helpline1-800-463-155424/7
SaskatchewanProblem Gambling Help Line1-800-306-678924/7
New BrunswickGambling Information Line1-800-461-1234
Nova ScotiaGambling Support Network1-888-347-8888
Prince Edward IslandPEI Gambling and Gaming Support Line1-855-255-425524/7
Newfoundland and LabradorHealthLine, mental health and addictions81124/7
Anywhere in Canada9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (call or text)9-8-824/7

Self-exclusion programs

Self-exclusion is a ban you put on yourself. Once it starts, you usually cannot cancel it early. Provincial programs cover the provincial site and, in some provinces, every regulated site.

  • Ontario: BetGuard. Run by iGaming Ontario since May 2026. One sign-up blocks you from every regulated online gambling site in Ontario, including OLG’s. Terms: 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term. You must be 19+. BetGuard warns about fake sites: use only betguard.ca or igamingontario.ca. It is separate from each operator’s own self-exclusion.
  • British Columbia: Game Break (BCLC). 6 months, 1, 2 or 3 years. It covers PlayNow.com and B.C. gambling facilities, wherever you enrol. You can enrol on PlayNow.com, at a facility or with a GameSense Advisor.
  • Alberta: AGLC Self-Exclusion Program. Every regulated online operator in Alberta must connect to AGLC’s central program.
  • Quebec: Loto-Québec self-exclusion. Blocks your account on lotoquebec.com for the period you choose. Jeu: aide et référence can support you while you enrol.
  • Manitoba: Voluntary Self-Exclusion (Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries). Online, from your PlayNow account: 6 months, 1, 2 or 3 years. Online enrolment covers the website only; casinos need a separate request (204-957-2500 ext. 8468).
  • Saskatchewan.

Offshore casinos, including the ones we review, are not part of any provincial program. You must ask each one to close or exclude your account, and most only do it per site.

Limit tools that work

  • Deposit limit. Set a daily, weekly or monthly cap in your account before your first deposit. Lowering it takes effect at once; raising it usually has a waiting period.
  • Loss and wager limits, where the casino offers them.
  • Reality check. A pop-up every 30 or 60 minutes that shows time played and net result.
  • Time-out. A short break of a day to a few weeks, without full self-exclusion.
  • Blocking at the bank or device level. Ask your bank whether it can block gambling payments on your cards. Blocking software on your phone and computer can stop gambling sites from loading.

Decide before you play what you can afford to lose, and do not chase losses.

Warning signs

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) notes that gambling problems have no physical signs you can see. It lists signs in four areas:

  • Behaviour: dropping activities you enjoyed, missing family events, neglecting work, school or self-care, thinking about gambling all the time.
  • Emotions: pulling away from family and friends, mood swings or anger, signs of depression.
  • Money: borrowing often, asking for salary advances, cashing in savings, swinging between broke and spending freely.
  • Health: stress problems such as headaches, stomach trouble, poor sleep, changes in appetite.

These signs are not a diagnosis. Only a health professional can assess a gambling problem. If several of them sound familiar, for you or someone close to you, a helpline call is a good first step. Family members can call too.

Our part

We do not show partner casinos to readers who say they are under 18 (or 19 where that is the legal age), and we do not show them in Ontario or Alberta. Every page that lists casinos carries a short line about limits and help. We will never describe gambling as a way to make money.

Sources

Before you play

Are you 19 or older? Demos use play money. You can't win or deposit real money here.