Responsible gambling

Updated September 6, 2026

Gambling is entertainment that costs money. It is not income, it is not a way out of debt, and no system beats the house edge. If it stops being entertainment, stop and use one of the services below.

Age limits by province

You must be 19 or older to gamble in most of Canada. The limit is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Sites that let a minor register are not listed here.

Tools every listed casino must offer

• Deposit limits — daily, weekly and monthly, and a reduction has to take effect immediately.
• Time-outs — a short break of 24 hours to six weeks.
• Self-exclusion — six months or longer, with no way to reverse it early.
• Reality checks — a reminder of how long you have been playing.
• Session history — deposits, withdrawals and stakes you can export.

Where to get help

• ConnexOntario — 1-866-531-2600, free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
• Responsible Gambling Council — responsiblegambling.org, prevention programmes and research across Canada.
• Gamblers Anonymous Canada — meetings in every province, in person and online.
• Provincial services — GameSense in British Columbia, AGLC self-exclusion in Alberta, and the Loto-Québec exclusion programme in Quebec.

Warning signs

Chasing losses, borrowing to play, hiding how much you spend, playing to escape stress, or gambling money set aside for something else. One of these is enough to justify a call to ConnexOntario.