Responsible gambling: the lines, the limits, the way out

Age limits

British Columbia, Ontario and most other provinces set the minimum age for casinos at 19. Alberta, Quebec and Manitoba set it at 18. Cascades Langley is in British Columbia, so the floor is 19+, and ID is checked at the entrance for everyone.

Help lines

British Columbia

Gambling Support BC, 1-888-795-6111, free and confidential, 24 hours a day. Callers reach a navigator who can find local services or connect them to a free counsellor. gamblingsupportbc.ca

Ontario

ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600, 24/7. connexontario.ca

GameSense (BCLC)

GameSense advisors work in BC gambling facilities and can be reached by phone on 1-866-815-0222.

Across Canada

The Responsible Gambling Council publishes research and practical tools.

Self-exclusion in British Columbia: Game Break

BCLC's Game Break programme lets you exclude yourself for six months, one, two or three years. You can enrol in person at a casino, community gaming centre or bingo hall with government photo ID, by video call with a GameSense advisor, or online through a PlayNow account. The term starts immediately and cannot be shortened. BC casinos check ID at the door against the Game Break list. At the end of the term, returning requires an online course and a return-to-play form.

Signs worth taking seriously

• Spending more than you planned, or more than you can afford to lose.
• Chasing losses: going back to win back what you lost.
• Borrowing, or using money meant for bills, to gamble.
• Hiding how much you gamble from people close to you.
• Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut back.

One of these on its own does not make a problem. Several together, or any of them repeating, is a good reason to call one of the numbers above. The call is free and nobody will tell you what to do.

Practical limits for a casino weekend

1. Decide the amount before you leave home and treat it as the price of the evening, like a concert ticket.
2. Bring it in cash. Leave cards in the room safe.
3. Set a time to stop and an alarm on your phone.
4. Do not drink and gamble at the same time.
5. Never gamble to fix a money problem.
6. If you are with friends, agree the limits together and hold each other to them.

Online gambling

We do not link to any online gambling site. If you gamble online in British Columbia, PlayNow.com is the provincially run site, and it includes limit-setting tools and Game Break. Sites without a Canadian provincial licence offer none of the protections described here. More on our land-based vs online page.