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Canada · Guide

Where to get help for gambling problems in Canada

In a crisis, call or text 988, Canada's suicide crisis helpline, any time. For gambling problems, most provinces run a free, confidential helpline open 24/7, such as BC's Gambling Support Line (1-888-795-6111), ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) and Quebec's Jeu : aide et référence (1-800-461-0140); the territories and Nova Scotia route gambling through their health and crisis lines. Every province also runs a self-exclusion program, but none covers prediction-market apps.

By SafeBet.ai Research Team Updated 4 min read 27 sources

Key takeaways

  • In a crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, free and open 24/7 across Canada since November 30, 2023.
  • Most provinces have a free, confidential gambling or addictions helpline open around the clock; the table below lists the number for each province and territory.
  • Self-exclusion programs let you ban yourself from your province's gambling sites, and Ontario's BetGuard covers every regulated online gambling site in the province at once.
  • No self-exclusion program covers prediction-market apps such as Wealthsimple Predict or Interactive Brokers; use their own limits, or close the account.
  • Help is also available for family members, young people (Kids Help Phone) and Indigenous Peoples (Hope for Wellness).

If you’re in crisis

Call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, free and available 24 hours a day across Canada. In an emergency, call 911.

Helplines by province and territory

Free and confidential. Where a province has no gambling-only line, we list the service it points people to for gambling problems.

Province or territory Who to call Number Hours
Alberta 211 Alberta (mental health and addiction help, including gambling); the Addiction Helpline still answers 211 (call, text INFO to 211, or chat); 1-866-332-2322 24/7
British Columbia Gambling Support Line (Gambling Support BC) 1-888-795-6111 24/7
Manitoba Manitoba Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-463-1554 24 hours
New Brunswick Problem gambling line 1-800-461-1234 24/7
Newfoundland and Labrador Gambling Help Line, through the HealthLine 811 24 hours
Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line (no gambling-only line) 1-888-429-8167 24/7
Northwest Territories 811, then press 1 for the Mental Health and Wellness Support Line 811 or 1-844-259-1793 24/7
Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line 1-800-265-3333 (Iqaluit 979-3333) 24/7
Ontario ConnexOntario (mental health, addictions and gambling) 1-866-531-2600; text CONNEX to 247247 24/7
Prince Edward Island PEI Gambling Support Line 1-855-255-4255 24/7
Quebec Jeu : aide et référence (bilingual, anonymous) 1-800-461-0140 (Montréal 514-527-0140) 24/7
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-306-6789; text 306-400-2785 (daily 12:30–5:30 p.m.) 24 hours
Yukon Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services (no gambling-only line) 1-866-456-3838 Weekdays

Checked on October 22, 2026, from each government’s or health authority’s own page; see the sources below. Numbers change, so if one doesn’t connect, 988 can point you to local help.

Other free support

  • Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868, 24/7, for young people.
  • Hope for Wellness: 1-855-242-3310, 24/7, for Indigenous Peoples across Canada.
  • GameSense: advisors run by BCLC and used by Alberta’s gaming regulator, for questions about gambling and how to keep it in check.

Self-exclusion in your province

Self-exclusion bans you from a province’s gambling sites for a period you choose. Each program covers only its own province’s sites:

Where Program What it covers
British Columbia Game Break (BCLC) Gambling facilities and PlayNow, for 6 months to 3 years; closes your PlayNow account
Ontario My PlayBreak (OLG); BetGuard (iGaming Ontario, since May 14, 2026) OLG’s sites and venues; BetGuard covers every regulated online gambling site in Ontario at once
Quebec Loto-Québec self-exclusion Online breaks of 1 to 89 days; self-exclusion for 3 months to 5 years
Alberta AGLC Self-Exclusion Program Casinos and racing centres, regulated online gambling, or both, for 6 months to 3 years
Atlantic provinces Atlantic Lottery player tools Short breaks of 1 to 90 days, long breaks of 6 to 36 months that can’t be reversed

What about prediction-market apps?

No provincial self-exclusion covers prediction-market apps: Wealthsimple Predict and Interactive Brokers are investment dealers, not gambling sites. Their own tools are what you have:

  • Wealthsimple Predict sets a recommended loss limit from the income and net worth you give at sign-up and warns you as losses grow; it’s a warning, not a block. In August 2026 Wealthsimple said it was building deposit caps, trading breaks of a day to three months, and self-exclusion for six months to five years; we couldn’t find them documented as live on October 22, 2026.
  • Interactive Brokers has no prediction-market-specific limit tools that we found.

If you can’t keep to a budget, the reliable step is to close the account and, if you also gamble, self-exclude from your province’s sites.

Warning signs

  • Spending more money or time than you planned, or chasing losses.
  • Borrowing, or using money meant for bills, to trade or bet.
  • Hiding how much you trade or gamble.
  • Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut back.
  • Thinking about markets or bets most of the day.

If any of these sound familiar, call your province’s line above. It’s free, confidential, and you don’t need to have hit bottom to ask for help.

Helping someone else

The provincial helplines support family members and friends too. You can’t make someone stop, but you can protect your own finances, avoid covering their debts, and encourage them to call. If you’re worried about their safety, call or text 988.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a national gambling helpline in Canada?

No. Each province and territory runs its own service, listed in the table on this page. For a crisis, 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, works everywhere in Canada by call or text, 24/7.

What is the gambling helpline in Ontario?

ConnexOntario, on 1-866-531-2600, free and confidential, 24/7, for mental health, addictions and gambling. You can also text CONNEX to 247247 or use its live chat.

How do I self-exclude from online gambling in Canada?

Through your province: BC's Game Break, OLG's My PlayBreak or iGaming Ontario's BetGuard in Ontario, Loto-Québec's self-exclusion in Quebec, the AGLC Self-Exclusion Program in Alberta, and Atlantic Lottery's breaks in the Atlantic provinces. Each covers only that province's own gambling sites, or in BetGuard's case all regulated online gambling sites in Ontario.

Can I self-exclude from Wealthsimple Predict or Interactive Brokers?

Not through any provincial program: they're investment dealers, not gambling sites. Wealthsimple sets a recommended loss limit and warns you as losses grow, and said in August 2026 that it was building deposit caps, trading breaks and self-exclusion. Until those exist, the reliable option is to close the account.

Is the help confidential?

Yes. The provincial helplines are free and confidential, and several, such as Quebec's Jeu : aide et référence, are anonymous too.

Guide · 4 min Are prediction markets safe in Canada? The two dealers allowed to offer event contracts in Canada, Interactive Brokers and Wealthsimple, are regulated by CIRO, covered by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and answer to the OBSI ombudsman. Unregistered platforms such as Polymarket offer none of that. Check any platform in the CSA's registration search and CIRO's dealer directory, avoid sites offering Canadians sports or election contracts, and remember that even a safe platform can't stop you losing your stake. Read Guide · 5 min How prediction market gains are taxed in Canada The Canada Revenue Agency hasn't published guidance on prediction markets. Unlike casual gambling winnings, which aren't taxed, gains on event contracts traded through a dealer are generally treated as capital gains, half of which is taxable in 2026, or as fully taxable business income if you trade often or professionally. Report them in Canadian dollars at the Bank of Canada rate on each transaction date, and keep your own records. Read

Sources

We verify facts against primary sources (regulators, court records, operators’ own terms) wherever possible.

  1. 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline launches — Public Health Agency of Canada , 2023-11-30
  2. About 9-8-8 — 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline , accessed 2026-10-22
  3. Gambling Support BC — Government of British Columbia , 2026-04-13
  4. Find help: mental health and addictions (211) — Recovery Alberta , accessed 2026-10-22
  5. Find help for a drug or gambling problem — MyHealth Alberta , 2026-01-27
  6. Manitoba Addictions Helpline — Shared Health Manitoba , 2026-10-08
  7. How to help (addictions) — Government of New Brunswick , accessed 2026-10-22
  8. Helplines and navigator — Government of Newfoundland and Labrador , 2026-03-20
  9. Gambling — Nova Scotia Health , accessed 2026-10-22
  10. 811 — Government of the Northwest Territories , accessed 2026-10-22
  11. Kamatsiaqtut Help Line — Kamatsiaqtut Help Line , accessed 2026-10-22
  12. Find mental health support — Government of Ontario , 2026-08-07
  13. ConnexOntario — ConnexOntario , accessed 2026-10-22
  14. Gambling addiction services — Health PEI , 2025-03-31
  15. Alcohol, drugs and gambling — Gouvernement du Québec , accessed 2026-10-22
  16. Jeu : aide et référence — Jeu : aide et référence , accessed 2026-10-22
  17. Problem gambling directory of services — Government of Saskatchewan , accessed 2026-10-22
  18. Access free adult counselling services in Whitehorse — Government of Yukon , 2025-10-28
  19. Kids Help Phone — Kids Help Phone , accessed 2026-10-22
  20. Get help and support (Hope for Wellness) — Government of Alberta , accessed 2026-10-22
  21. Game Break — GameSense (BCLC) , accessed 2026-10-22
  22. My PlayBreak — OLG , accessed 2026-10-22
  23. BetGuard: centralized self-exclusion for Ontario igaming — iGaming Ontario , 2026-05-14
  24. Self-exclusion — Loto-Québec , accessed 2026-10-22
  25. Self-Exclusion Program — AGLC (GameSense Alberta) , accessed 2026-10-22
  26. Player tools — Atlantic Lottery , accessed 2026-10-22
  27. Prediction markets in Canada: a principled regulatory framework — Wealthsimple , 2026-08-04