HomeBudget and help
A budget for the visit, and help
A limit is easier to keep when it is set at home, in money and in time. The tool below turns the two into a pace per hour and a stop point.
By the Bell Boulevard deskChecked October 13, 2026
Set the limit
A limit for the visit
Money and time decided at home · nothing is sent anywhere
$33 an hour
Plan 3 breaks: at 45 min, 1 h 30 and 2 h 15. Stop when the $100 is gone or at the 3 hour mark, whichever comes first.
The amount is the price of the evening, not a target. Losses are the expected result over time.
Setting a limit before the visit
Decide two numbers before leaving home: the money for the visit and the time to stay. Treat that money as the price of the evening, like a ticket. It is not an amount to win back. Take a break away from the games at set points, for a walk or a meal. When the amount is gone, the visit is over.
Every casino game has a house edge, a small advantage built into the rules. Over time, losses are the expected outcome, not bad luck. In Ontario, no one under 19 may enter or stay in a casino, except staff at work.
Where to get help in Ontario
- ConnexOntario is the province's help line for problem gambling, mental health and addiction: 1-866-531-2600, free and confidential, 24 hours a day. People can also text CONNEX to 247247 or chat at connexontario.ca.
- My PlayBreak, OLG's self-exclusion program, bars entry to any Ontario casino for 3 or 6 months or 1 to 5 years. To enrol, call the OLG Support Centre at 1-800-387-0098, ask staff at the casino, or go to a PlaySmart Centre.
- PlaySmart Centres, run by OLG with the Responsible Gambling Council, are in all OLG casinos. The Virtual PlaySmart Centre answers at 1-833-888-2306, 7 days a week, 11 am to 7 pm.
- BetGuard, at betguard.ca, is iGaming Ontario's tool to opt out of every regulated online gambling site in Ontario at once, OLG.ca included. Terms are 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term, and it does not cover casinos people walk into.
For worried family and friends
ConnexOntario also takes calls from people worried about someone else's gambling, such as a partner, a parent or a friend. The line is free and confidential, and it answers 24 hours a day at 1-866-531-2600. Texting CONNEX to 247247 or chatting at connexontario.ca are other ways to reach it.
Questions at the counter
Is ConnexOntario open at night?
Yes, the line answers 24 hours a day at 1-866-531-2600, free and confidential. People can also text CONNEX to 247247 or chat at connexontario.ca.
Can a My PlayBreak term be shortened?
No, the term cannot be changed once chosen. The choice is 3 or 6 months or 1 to 5 years, so it helps to decide the length with care before enrolling.
Does BetGuard block casinos?
BetGuard does not cover casinos people walk into. It covers regulated online gambling sites in Ontario, OLG.ca included. For a land-based casino, My PlayBreak is the program that bars entry.