Responsible gambling and where to get help

Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money or to solve money problems. At BonusOut we believe that knowing how gambling can go wrong, and what protections exist where you live, helps you stay in control.

This page covers ways to lower your risk, signs of harm, age rules, limits, self-exclusion and free support. Most rules and services are set by each province, so the details depend on where you live.

If gambling is affecting you or someone you care about right now, there is no single helpline for all of Canada. Call the one for your province from the list below, for example ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600 in Ontario or the Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 in Alberta.

Ways to gamble with lower risk

No approach removes the risk of harm completely. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction publishes Canada's Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines, and it asks you to follow all three at the same time (gamblingguidelines.ca):

• Gamble no more than 1% of your household income before tax per month.
• Gamble no more than 4 days per month, which works out to roughly once a week.
• Avoid regularly gambling at more than 2 types of games.

Two habits help as well: spend only money you can afford to lose, never money meant for rent or bills, and do not chase your losses, because chasing is how a small loss turns into a large one. Our guide to the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines explains each guideline.

When gambling starts to cause harm

Gambling problems occur along a continuum, and they are not only about losing money, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Harm can build slowly.

CAMH describes behavioural, emotional, financial and health signs. Examples include:

• thinking about gambling all the time,
• conflicts with other people over money,
• frequently borrowing money or asking for salary advances,
• cashing in savings accounts, RRSPs or insurance plans,
• withdrawing from family and friends, or no longer doing things they previously enjoyed,
• ignoring work, school or family tasks, or having trouble sleeping.

It may be time to talk to someone if you see any of these in yourself or in someone you care about. You do not need to be sure before you ask for help.

Age limits depend on the province

There is no single gambling age in Canada. Each province sets its own:

We have not confirmed the age in Manitoba, Saskatchewan or the territories, so check with your provincial or territorial regulator. For Alberta, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, the age comes from the regulator or operator linked above, and we have not confirmed it for in-person casinos or lottery tickets. See legal gambling age in Canada for the full picture.

Limits and cooling-off periods

Limits cap how much you spend or how long you play. In Ontario, standards set by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) require a regulated site to give you an easy and obvious way to set financial and time-based limits when you register and at any time afterwards, over 24 hours, seven days or one month. If you ask to relax or remove a limit you set, a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours applies (AGCO). Alberta sets its own rules in the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming from Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC).

Wherever you play, set limits in your account settings before you start, not after a bad run. See our guide to gambling limits.

Self-exclusion programs

Self-exclusion lets you ask to be blocked from gambling for a set period. Canada has no national register. Each program is run by a province and covers only what that program covers:

We have not confirmed a program name for Quebec or Saskatchewan; ask the provincial operator or call your helpline. Use official pages only: on September 10, 2026, iGaming Ontario warned about third parties using the BetGuard name to make misleading statements about how to opt out (iGaming Ontario). See also how BetGuard works.

Sites outside your province's regulated system

Limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion programs are part of provincial regulation. If a site is not regulated in your province, do not assume it offers any of them, and a self-exclusion registered elsewhere does not reach it. Regulators also say what they cannot do: Manitoba's Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority (LGCA) notes it cannot make a site that is not regulated in Manitoba follow Manitoba's laws (lgcamb.ca), and the AGCO says it cannot get your money back or make a gaming site give it back (AGCO). Our online gambling by province section explains who regulates what, and regulated gambling in Canada shows how to tell the difference.

Where to get help

Canada has no national gambling helpline. Call the service for your province:

ConnexOntario, Gambling Support BC and Jeu : aide et référence describe their services as free and confidential. We have not confirmed a gambling helpline for the territories; your doctor or local health centre can point you to support. Other places to turn:

• CAMH — free treatment, including counselling, is available to anyone in Ontario affected by gambling (camh.ca).
• Gamblers Anonymous — peer support meetings, listed in a meeting directory.
• Your doctor — a family doctor can refer you to counselling.

For more, see our gambling help by province section. This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Questions about this page: info@bonusout-ca.com.

Age limits: 19+ in Ontario, British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces; 18+ in Alberta and Quebec. Check the age in your own province or territory. Gambling can be addictive. For free support, call the helpline for your province, such as ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600.

Last updated: October 6, 2026