When gambling stops being fun, and you have concerns about yourself, or others, it can be hard to know what to do. The first thing to know is that you are not alone. There are steps you can take including getting free and confidential help.
If you are in crisis, dial 988 immediately. 988 is a suicide crisis helpline that provides a safe space to talk, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Visit 988 to learn more about how they can help you or someone you know.
Connect with Groups that Offer Services
Here are some organizations that you may find helpful:
ConnexOntario provides information on treatment services available in Ontario and offers brief support for people experiencing problems with gambling, drugs, alcohol, or mental health. The service is free, confidential, and available anytime.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call ConnexOntario 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600 or text at 247247 or chat at: ConnexOntario
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides free treatment, including counselling, to anyone in Ontario affected by gambling. This includes family members. Counselling can help people understand why they gamble, so they can stop, cut down or change their gambling.
Call CAMH 24/7 at: 1-800-463-2338 or 416-535-8501
As a non-profit organization and Canada’s longest-standing credit counselling agency, Credit Canada helps thousands of people get out of debt and back into life. Credit counselling is confidential, non-judgmental, and 100% free.
You can visit Credit Canada for more information or you can call 1-800-267-2272 to speak to a counsellor right away.
Limit the Online Advertisements You See
Many web services have customizable privacy settings that are designed to help you limit the amount and type of advertisements you see online. Here is some information about privacy settings available on some common platforms:
- Block specific advertisers
- Mute advertisements
- Stop seeing advertisements on sites and apps that partner with Google.
Facebook and Instagram (Meta)
- Hide specific advertisements and advertisers
- Select topics to see less of
- Choose whether the ads shown to you are based on your activity on other websites or apps
X (Formerly Twitter)
- Block tweets from individual gambling companies
- Mute words, phrases, usernames, emojis, and hashtags
- Manage the interests associated with your profile that could lead to more gambling-related content.
Sign Up for Website Blocking
Website blocking software is designed to help you limit or restrict your access to any gambling websites. Here are some examples of gambling-specific providers for you to consider:
Web services and blocking software are provided and maintained by third parties. iGaming Ontario does not accept or assume any liability in respect of such third-party software.