18+ · Free and confidential help
Responsible gambling
Gambling is entertainment with a cost attached. It is never a source of income, an investment, or a way to solve a financial problem.
If you need help now
Support is free, anonymous and confidential. You don't need a diagnosis, or even to be sure you have a problem, to call.
Compulsive Gambling Prevention and Assistance Programme, run by the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos. If you're outside the province, check the responsible gambling programme in your own jurisdiction.
Basic rules that lower the risk
- Decide how much you can afford to lose before you start, and don't change it mid-session.
- Only use money set aside for entertainment, never money needed for fixed costs.
- Don't borrow money or use credit to gamble.
- Don't try to win back losses — chasing them is the pattern that escalates fastest.
- Set a time limit and use an alarm. Long sessions degrade decision-making.
- Don't gamble under the influence of alcohol or other substances, or when you're upset.
- Take real breaks: step away from the screen rather than switching games.
Warning signs
The more of these you recognise, the more worthwhile it is to seek professional guidance:
- Betting larger and larger amounts to feel the same excitement.
- Lying to family or friends about how much time or money you spend gambling.
- Thinking about betting while working, studying or trying to sleep.
- Arguing with people close to you about gambling-related money.
- Feeling irritable or anxious when you try to cut back or stop.
- Using gambling to escape stress, sadness or boredom.
- Coming back "tomorrow" to recover what you lost.
Control tools inside the platform
Licensed operators are required to offer self-control tools within the account itself:
- Deposit limits — daily, weekly or monthly.
- Loss and stake limits per period.
- Session time reminders.
- Cooling-off periods that block access for a set time.
- Self-exclusion, which prevents account access for longer periods.
Limit increases usually take effect only after a waiting period, while reductions apply immediately. Set your limits when you're calm, not in the middle of a session.
Protecting minors
Online gambling is prohibited for anyone under 18. If you share a device, don't save your login details, and consider parental control software such as Net Nanny or Qustodio, which can block gambling sites.
If it's someone else's problem
Talking without accusing usually works better than confrontation. Avoid paying off gambling debts — it tends to extend the cycle rather than break it. The helplines listed above also support family members and friends.