Gambling should be entertainment you pay for, like a night out — not a way to make money or solve money problems. These steps help keep it that way.

On this page5 sections

1. Know the legal age
2. Set limits before you play
3. Take a break or self-exclude
4. Warning signs
5. Free, confidential help

Know the legal age

You must be 19 or older to gamble in most provinces, and 18 or older in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Casinos check your age and identity before you can withdraw.

Set limits before you play

Take a break or self-exclude

Licensed casinos let you pause your account for a cooling-off period or exclude yourself for months or years. Provincial programmes can block you from every regulated site in the province at once — for example, iGaming Ontario’s centralised self-exclusion for Ontario players.

Warning signs

• spending more money or time than you planned;
• chasing losses or borrowing to gamble;
• hiding gambling from family or friends;
• feeling anxious or irritable when you are not playing.

Free, confidential help

If you or someone close to you is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8, the national suicide crisis helpline.