Responsible Gambling

Gambling is entertainment that costs money. For a minority of people it stops being either, and the point of this page is that the signs are recognisable before the damage is.

Signs Worth Taking Seriously

  • Depositing more than was planned, or more often than was planned.
  • Chasing a loss with a larger stake to get back to level.
  • Gambling with money set aside for rent, bills, food or debt.
  • Borrowing to gamble, or hiding the amount from people close to you.
  • Playing to escape stress or low mood rather than for entertainment.
  • Feeling irritable or restless when not playing.

Any one of those is worth pausing on. Several together is worth talking to somebody about.

Free Help in Canada

  • ConnexOntario — 1-866-531-2600, free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
  • Provincial health lines — every province funds problem gambling support, generally at no cost.
  • Gamblers Anonymous — in-person and online meetings across Canada.
  • Gambling Therapy — free online support and moderated forums.

Tools That Actually Work

Deposit limits are the most effective single measure because they act before the decision rather than after it. Set one while you are calm, at the lowest figure you would be comfortable losing in a month. Every licensed operator must offer deposit limits, session reminders, cooling-off periods and permanent self-exclusion, and using them is routine rather than an admission of anything.

One point specific to this site's subject. Because an Interac e-Transfer cannot be reversed once claimed, it removes the accidental brake that a declined card or a pending payment sometimes provides. If you know you are prone to depositing impulsively, the speed of this payment method works against you, and a deposit limit set at the operator is the countermeasure.

For Family and Friends

Supporting someone who is gambling too much is exhausting and you do not have to do it alone. ConnexOntario and the provincial lines support affected family members, not only the person gambling, and taking that call is a reasonable first step.