Responsible Gaming
Gambling should always be a form of entertainment — not a way to earn money, pay debts, or solve financial problems. While most people gamble responsibly, it’s important to understand the risks and know where to turn if gambling stops being fun.
Age Verification
You must be 18 years of age or older — or the legal age for gambling in your Canadian province or territory (19 in some jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Ontario, and others) — to participate in any gambling activity. Underage gambling is illegal and can lead to serious consequences. We strongly encourage parents and guardians to use parental controls and monitor online activity.
Warning Signs of Problem Gambling
Problem gambling can affect anyone. If you recognise any of the following signs in yourself or a loved one, it may be time to seek help:
- Chasing losses — trying to win back money you’ve lost by gambling more
- Hiding gambling activity from family, friends, or colleagues
- Spending more time or money on gambling than you intended
- Neglecting work, school, relationships, or personal responsibilities
- Borrowing money, selling possessions, or using funds meant for essentials to gamble
- Feeling restless, irritable, or anxious when trying to cut back or stop
- Lying about how much you gamble or how much you lose
- Gambling to escape stress, anxiety, depression, or other problems
- Being unable to stop or control gambling despite wanting to
Self-Help Tools
Most licensed gambling platforms offer practical tools to help you stay in control. These can usually be activated in your account settings and include:
- Deposit limits — cap how much money you can add to your account per day, week, or month
- Loss limits — set a maximum amount you are willing to lose within a period
- Reality checks — receive pop-up reminders showing how long you’ve been playing
- Time-outs / cooling-off periods — temporarily block access to your account for a set period (24 hours, 7 days, etc.)
- Self-exclusion — voluntarily ban yourself from a gambling site or all licensed sites in your jurisdiction for a longer period (6 months, 1 year, or permanently)
We encourage you to use these tools proactively, even if you do not think you have a problem.
Support Organizations
If you or someone you know needs confidential support, please contact one of the following organisations. Help is free, non-judgmental, and available 24/7 in many cases.
- Canada: Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) — www.responsiblegambling.org
- United Kingdom: GamCare — www.gamcare.org.uk | GamStop (self-exclusion) — www.gamstop.co.uk
- Australia: Gambling Help Online — www.gamblinghelponline.org.au
- United States: National Council on Problem Gambling — www.ncpgambling.org
- Germany: Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) — www.bzga.de
- Other countries: Please contact the most relevant national problem gambling organisation in your region. A quick online search for “problem gambling help [your country]” will guide you.
Seek Help
If you recognise any of the warning signs above, or if gambling is causing distress to you or someone you care about, please seek help today. Reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness. You are not alone, and recovery is possible.