Responsible gambling: tools and help by province
If gambling is causing you harm, help is available in every province we cover: ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) in Ontario, 211 in Alberta, Gambling Support BC (1-888-795-6111) in British Columbia, and Jeu : aide et référence (1 800 461-0140) in Québec. Minimum ages are 19+ in Ontario and British Columbia and 18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec. Numbers are copied from official pages.
Checked by the editorial team on
Minimum age by province
19+ in Ontario and British Columbia; 18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec. For Saskatchewan, the Atlantic provinces and the territories, the age for online betting is not confirmed as of 2026-11-13, so we do not state one.
Gambling involves risk. Play responsibly.
Signs it may be time to talk to someone
These are general questions, not a diagnosis. A help line can talk them through with you.
- Do you spend more money or time than you planned?
- Do you try to win back what you lost?
- Do you hide your gambling from people close to you?
- Do you borrow money to gamble?
- Does gambling affect your work, study or relationships?
Gambling is not a way to earn money or to relieve stress.
Tools and self-exclusion
| Province | Self-exclusion | Other tools named by the source |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario (ON) | BetGuard, central program since 2026-05-14; periods of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years; operators also run their own programs | Deposit, loss and time limits offered at registration |
| Alberta (AB) | selfexclusion.ca, central program | Reminders about tools and a "fit to play" confirmation, per the government fact sheet |
| British Columbia (BC) | Self-exclusion program on PlayNow | Not confirmed |
| Québec (QC) | Auto-exclusion through the Loto-Québec account or in person; breaks of 1 to 89 days | Mandatory weekly deposit limit |
| Manitoba (MB) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
Need a break? Ontario: BetGuard. Alberta: selfexclusion.ca.
Takeaway: use the program for your own province; a self-exclusion in one province is not recorded as covering another.
Help lines by province
| Province | Service | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario (ON) | ConnexOntario | 1-866-531-2600; text 247247; 988 also listed by iGaming Ontario; CAMH 416-535-8501 ext. 2 |
| Alberta (AB) | 211; GameSense (gamesenseab.ca); Recovery Alberta (recoveryalberta.ca) | Call 211; text INFO to 211 |
| British Columbia (BC) | Gambling Support BC | 1-888-795-6111, 24/7 |
| Québec (QC) | Jeu : aide et référence | 1 800 461-0140; Montréal 514 527-0140; 24/7 |
| Manitoba (MB) | Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries | Not confirmed: two numbers appear unlabelled on the PlayNow MB page, so we do not list one |
| Saskatchewan, Atlantic provinces, territories | Not confirmed | Not confirmed as of 2026-11-13 |
Where a call centre is not on this list, ask your family doctor or a local health service. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
How we checked
- We copied each number from the official page of the province's help service or regulator.
- We kept a number out of the table if the page did not say which province it belongs to.
- We re-check this page every 30 days. Errors can be reported through corrections.
Sources
What changed
- : first version. Manitoba and the remaining provinces await official confirmation.
Provincial changes are explained for Alberta and British Columbia.