Responsible Gambling

Gambling can cause financial, emotional and relationship harm. If it is becoming difficult to stop, or it is affecting someone you care about, independent support is available. You do not need to wait for a particular amount of debt or a crisis to ask for help.

Find support in Canada

Choose a service for the province or territory where you live. You can ask about your own gambling or someone else’s. The organisations below provide their own services independently of canadiangambling.net.

For other provinces and territories, the Responsible Gambling Council’s local-help directory lists Canadian services and contact routes. Confirm the relevant service’s current arrangements on its own website.

Recognise when gambling is becoming harmful

Reasons to pause and seek support can include repeatedly spending more time or money than intended, trying to win back losses, borrowing to gamble, concealing activity, neglecting bills or responsibilities, and finding it difficult to stop despite wanting to. You can speak with a support service even if you are uncertain how to describe what is happening.

A win, a bonus or a new betting system does not resolve these warning signs. Losing money does not make a future win due. Information about rules or odds should never be used as a reason to continue beyond a planned limit.

Practical steps to create a pause

Stop play and step away from the device if continuing feels hard to control. Turn off gambling-related messages and promotions, remove saved payment methods where possible and ask the provider about account limits, time-outs or closure. Consider asking a bank or payment provider whether gambling-payment restrictions are available for your account.

For any gambling you choose to do, keep money needed for rent, food, bills and other commitments separate. Do not borrow to gamble or increase a limit to recover a loss. Limits can help create boundaries, but they are not a substitute for support when gambling is causing harm.

Self-exclusion and blocking tools

Self-exclusion arrangements differ between providers and jurisdictions. Read what a programme covers, how long it applies, which linked brands or venues are included and how to contact it if an exclusion fails. Do not assume closing one account automatically covers every other service.

Blocking software, device restrictions and payment controls can provide additional barriers. A support worker can help you consider suitable options and local self-exclusion information. No single tool should be treated as a guarantee that every route to gambling is blocked.

Support for family and friends

You can contact a support service about the effects of someone else’s gambling. Explain your concerns without needing to establish a diagnosis. Consider support for your own wellbeing, practical safeguards for shared finances and help with having a calm conversation. Paying a gambling debt without addressing the underlying situation may leave the problem unresolved.

Our role and contact

canadiangambling.net publishes information and may use commercial referral links. It does not provide counselling, manage self-exclusion or access operator accounts. The editorial inbox should not be used for urgent support. Contact the independent services above directly for gambling concerns.

To report an outdated support link or number on this page, email [email protected]. The contacts above were checked against the linked service pages when this page was prepared on 8 November 2026.