If gambling has stopped being fun

Support by province

Each province funds its own service. These are publicly listed lines, not services we run.

If your province is not listed, your provincial health line can refer you, and the national Problem Gambling Institute publishes resources for the whole country.

Warning signs worth taking seriously

• Betting more than you planned, or chasing a loss to get back to even.
• Gambling with money set aside for rent, bills or food.
• Borrowing, selling things, or hiding what you have spent from people close to you.
• Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• Gambling to escape stress, low mood or boredom rather than for entertainment.

None of these means the situation is hopeless. All of them are worth a phone call.

Tools you can use today

• Deposit limits. Every licensed operator must offer them. Set one when you open the account, while it is an abstract decision rather than an emotional one.
• Loss and session limits. Caps on what you can lose, or how long you can stay logged in.
• Cooling-off. A short lock — usually 24 hours to six weeks — that you cannot reverse early.
• Self-exclusion. A longer block, from six months upwards. Provincial platforms run their own schemes that cover every site they operate.
• Blocking software. Tools such as Gamban and BetBlocker restrict gambling sites across all your devices.
• Bank blocks. Many Canadian banks can block gambling transactions on your account at your request.

Ground rules

• Gambling is entertainment that costs money. It is not income and it is not a way out of debt.
• Only stake money you can lose without it changing your week.
• Never chase losses. The odds do not know what you are owed.
• Do not gamble while drinking, upset, or trying not to think about something.
• Take real breaks. Set a timer if you need one.
• 19+ only — 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.