Responsible Gambling Canada — Help, Tools & Helplines by Province

Help, Tools and Contacts for Every Province

Gambling is entertainment. For most people it stays that way. But for some players the line between recreation and harm shifts gradually — and by the time it becomes obvious, real damage has already been done to finances, relationships and mental health.

This page exists because Maple Jackpots believes access to help should be as easy to find as a casino bonus. Everything here — helplines, self-exclusion tools, warning signs, provincial contacts — is free, confidential, and available right now.

If you are in crisis and need to speak to someone immediately, call the number for your province listed below. You do not need to wait until things get worse.

Emergency Contacts — Canada Gambling Help by Province

Province / Territory	Service	Phone	Hours
Ontario	ConnexOntario	1-866-531-2600	24/7
British Columbia	Gambling Support BC	1-888-795-6111	24/7
Alberta	AHS Addiction Helpline	1-866-332-2322	24/7
Saskatchewan	Problem Gambling Helpline	1-800-306-6789	24/7
Manitoba	Addictions Help Line	1-800-463-1554	24/7
Quebec	Jeu: aide et référence	1-800-461-0140	24/7
New Brunswick	Problem Gambling Services	1-800-461-1234	24/7
Nova Scotia	Problem Gambling Help Line	1-888-347-8888	24/7
PEI	Problem Gambling Services	1-855-255-4255	Business hours
Newfoundland & Labrador	Mental Health & Addictions	1-888-737-4668	24/7
Northwest Territories	NWT Helpline	1-800-661-0844	24/7
Yukon	Mental Wellness & Substance Use	1-866-456-3838	24/7
National (all provinces)	Gamblers Anonymous Canada	ga.org/locations	Varies
National (all provinces)	Gambling Therapy (online)	gamblingtherapy.org	24/7 online

All calls are free and confidential. Most services operate in both English and French. ConnexOntario also offers support in 170 languages.

National Resources Available to All Canadian Players

Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) Canada’s leading independent authority on responsible gambling. Provides research, education and tools for players and families. Website: responsiblegambling.org

CAMH — Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital. Offers clinical services and gambling addiction resources. Phone from GTA: 416-535-8501 Toll-free: 1-800-463-2338 Website: camh.ca

Gamblers Anonymous Canada Peer support groups across Canada. Free meetings, no registration required. Website: ga.org

Gambling Therapy Free online support including live chat, forums and counselling tools. Available 24/7. Website: gamblingtherapy.org

GamTalk Free moderated online peer support community for anyone affected by gambling harm. Website: gamtalk.org

Self-Exclusion — How to Block Yourself from Gambling by Province

Self-exclusion is a formal request that prevents you from accessing gambling platforms for a chosen period. It is one of the most effective tools available for players who want to take a break.

Ontario Program: My PlayBreak (OLG) Covers: All Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation platforms How to enrol: Visit playolg.ca or call OLG Support at 1-800-387-0098 iGaming Ontario licensed casinos also offer operator-level self-exclusion through your account settings.

British Columbia Program: Game Break (BCLC / GameSense) Covers: All BC casino facilities and PlayNow.ca Duration options: 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, or permanent How to enrol: Visit gamesense.com or call 1-888-795-6111

Alberta Program: AGLC Self-Exclusion Covers: All Alberta casinos, racing entertainment centres, PlayAlberta.ca How to enrol: Contact AGLC directly or call the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322

Manitoba Program: Game Break (PlayNow / GameSense) Covers: PlayNow.com and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries platforms How to enrol: Create a PlayNow account and activate self-exclusion through account settings

Saskatchewan Program: SIGA Voluntary Self-Exclusion Covers: Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority locations How to enrol: Visit any SIGA location or the central office at 103 Aspen Place, Saskatoon (appointment required)

All other provinces and offshore casinos Self-exclusion through the operator directly — go to Account Settings → Responsible Gambling → Self-Exclusion. Reputable licensed casinos process this request immediately. If an operator refuses or delays a self-exclusion request, this is a red flag and the operator should be reported to their licensing body.

Important: Provincial self-exclusion programs cover provincially licensed operators only. For offshore casinos, use the operator’s own self-exclusion tool and supplement it with device-level blocking software.

Responsible Gambling Tools Available at Licensed Casinos

Every reputable casino Maple Jackpots recommends offers the following tools in your account settings. Use them proactively — before you feel you need them, not after.

Deposit limits Set a maximum amount you can deposit per day, week or month. Once the limit is reached, no further deposits are processed until the period resets. Most casinos apply limit reductions immediately and increases only after a cooling-off period of 24 to 72 hours.

Session time limits Set a maximum duration for each gaming session. The casino will notify you when the limit is reached and log you out automatically if the feature is active.

Reality checks Pop-up reminders that appear at regular intervals — typically every 30, 60 or 90 minutes — showing how long you have been playing and how much you have wagered in the session.

Loss limits A cap on the amount you can lose within a defined period. Once reached, further play is blocked until the period resets.

Cool-off period A short break from gambling — typically 24 hours to six weeks — after which your account automatically reopens. Different from self-exclusion in that it is temporary and reversible.

Self-exclusion A formal, longer-term block — minimum six months at most casinos, with options up to permanent. Cannot be reversed during the exclusion period at regulated platforms.

Account closure A permanent request to close your account entirely. Legitimate casinos process this immediately and delete stored payment information.

Warning Signs — How to Recognise a Problem

Problem gambling develops gradually. The following signs — in yourself or someone you know — suggest that gambling has moved beyond entertainment:

Financial warning signs:

Spending more than you can afford on gambling
Borrowing money to gamble or to cover gambling losses
Selling possessions to fund gambling
Hiding financial transactions from family members
Gambling with money intended for bills, rent or food

Behavioural warning signs:

Needing to gamble with larger amounts to get the same excitement
Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut back
Repeated unsuccessful attempts to control or stop gambling
Lying to family or friends about the extent of gambling
Chasing losses — continuing to gamble to try to win back what was lost
Gambling to escape stress, anxiety or depression

Relationship and work warning signs:

Missing work, school or family commitments due to gambling
Arguments about money or time spent gambling
Withdrawing from social activities to gamble
Relying on others to cover financial problems caused by gambling

If you recognise three or more of these signs in your own behaviour, speaking to a helpline counsellor is a practical first step — not a dramatic one. All services listed on this page are confidential.

Safer Gambling Tips — Practical Habits Before You Play

These are habits that keep gambling in its proper place as entertainment:

Set a budget before you open the casino — decide the maximum you are willing to spend in the session and treat it as the cost of entertainment, not an investment
Set a time limit — use your phone timer or the casino’s session limit tool. When time is up, close the browser
Never chase losses — the impulse to keep playing to recover what you have lost is the single most common path to problem gambling. Walk away
Do not gamble when emotional — stress, anxiety, grief and alcohol all affect decision-making. Gambling while in any of these states leads to poor choices
Treat bonuses as play credit, not as money — casino bonuses carry wagering requirements that make them difficult to convert to real cash. Do not inflate your expectations based on headline bonus numbers
Use Interac rather than credit cards — Interac connects directly to your bank balance, making it harder to spend money you do not have. Many Canadian banks block credit card gambling transactions for this reason
Take regular breaks — stand up, move around, and assess how the session is going every 30 minutes
Balance gambling with other activities — if gambling is your primary source of entertainment or stress relief, that is a risk factor regardless of the amount spent

For Family Members and Friends

If someone you care about is showing signs of problem gambling, the following resources offer guidance for people close to the person experiencing harm:

Gamblers Anonymous — Gam-Anon — peer support for family members and friends. Meetings available across Canada. Website: gam-anon.org
CAMH Family Navigation — guidance for families supporting someone with addiction. Phone: 1-800-463-2338
Gambling Therapy — online support for people affected by someone else’s gambling. Website: gamblingtherapy.org
Your provincial helpline — every number listed at the top of this page supports family members as well as the person who is gambling

The most important thing to know: you cannot force someone to stop gambling, but you can protect your own financial and emotional wellbeing and access support for yourself independently.

Maple Jackpots Responsible Gambling Commitment

Maple Jackpots only recommends casinos that display responsible gambling tools prominently and process self-exclusion requests immediately. We do not promote casinos that:

Hide responsible gambling information in the footer
Delay or obstruct self-exclusion requests
Allow players to deposit after a self-exclusion request has been submitted
Send promotional emails to players who have self-excluded

Every casino review on Maple Jackpots includes an assessment of the platform’s responsible gambling tools. If a casino scores poorly in this area, it does not appear in our recommended lists regardless of its bonus offer.

If you have a concern about a casino’s responsible gambling practices, contact us through our About page and we will investigate.

Maple Jackpots is committed to promoting safer gambling. This page is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure all contact information is current. If you notice an error or outdated number, please contact us.

19+ to gamble in most provinces. 18+ in Alberta, Manitoba, and Québec.

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