Responsible Gambling

Practical ways to keep gambling in check, and free confidential support available across Canada.

Information site

No registration or payments

18+

1. Understanding problem gambling

Every casino game, Ice Fishing included, is a form of entertainment that costs money. With an RTP of 95.17% to 97.10% the game pays back less than it takes in over time, which is why gambling cannot serve as income, a way to cover bills or a way out of debt.

Gambling turns into a problem once it starts damaging something that matters – your finances, health, job, sleep or relationships. It can happen to anyone. Most people who gamble never run into trouble, yet the danger rises when playing becomes a way to escape stress, boredom or financial pressure. Quick games with short rounds, live game shows among them, make it especially easy to keep going longer and spend more than planned.

2. Warning signs

Stop and think if any of the following apply to you:

Gambling takes more of your time or money than you intended.
After a loss, you deposit again or raise your bets to win it back.
You borrow, use savings or sell things to fund your play.
You hide how much you gamble from family or friends.
When you are not gambling, you feel tense, anxious or short-tempered.
You need ever bigger bets in Ice Fishing or other games to get the same buzz.
Gambling crowds out work, school, sleep or time with the people you care about.
You have tried to cut down without success.

3. Tips for playing responsibly

Decide on a budget before you start and see it as the cost of a night's entertainment, not an investment.
Pick a time limit and set an alarm on your phone.
Gamble only with money you can spare, and never try to win back losses.
Stay away from gambling when you are stressed, low, tired or have been drinking.
Take frequent breaks – a round of Ice Fishing lasts about 20 seconds, so an hour can disappear quickly.
Keep money for rent, bills and groceries separate from your gambling budget.
Keep bets on the rarest results small – Huge Reds in Ice Fishing comes up on about one spin in 53, so a budget can run out long before it does.
When you only want to enjoy the show, watch rounds without betting.

4. Self-exclusion and limits

Licensed online casinos give you tools to stay in control: limits on deposits and losses, reminders of how long you have been playing, short time-outs and self-exclusion lasting months or years. The best moment to set them is when you open an account, not after a session has gone badly.

A number of provinces also run voluntary self-exclusion programs covering the gambling sites that operate under their rules. Apps such as Gamban or BetBlocker can block gambling sites on your phone and computer, and some banks let you block gambling transactions on your cards.

5. Getting help

Support is free and confidential, wherever you are in Canada:

ConnexOntario – Ontario residents can call 1-866-531-2600 free of charge, day or night, every day of the year.
Jeu : aide et référence – Quebec residents can reach this free line at 1-800-461-0140 at any hour.
BC Gambling Support Line – British Columbia residents can call 1-888-795-6111 free, 24/7.
Gambling Therapy – free online support offered worldwide in many languages.
GamCare and BeGambleAware – online guidance, self-tests and pointers to treatment.
Gamblers Anonymous – peer support groups meeting in many Canadian cities.

The other provinces and territories have free problem gambling lines of their own, and your family doctor can refer you to provincial addiction and gambling services. In a crisis, or if you are having thoughts of self-harm, call or text 9-8-8 at any hour; in an emergency, dial 911.

6. Protecting minors

Gambling is for adults only: 19 and older in most of Canada, 18 and older in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. If children share your devices:

never let the browser save casino passwords or card details;
lock phones, tablets and computers with a PIN or password;
switch on built-in parental controls or install filtering software;
keep bank cards and digital wallets out of their reach;
explain how gambling-style features in games and apps work and why they carry risk.

Licensed casinos confirm each customer's age before any deposit or real-money play.

Last updated 2026-11-04