What is Responsible Gambling?

Responsible gambling means participating in gambling activities without being at risk of experiencing harm or causing harm to others.

iGaming Ontario’s approach to responsible gambling is centered around enabling Operators to empower players to make informed choices about their play. Informed choice is about using the knowledge, information, and tools you have to make safe and healthy decisions about gambling. Check out iGaming 101 for tips about learning how the games work, using time and money limit setting tools, or even making a decision to take a break from gambling. Visit Responsible Gambling Council and take a quick gambling quiz to check in on your gambling, or learn about how much gambling really costs you over time.

The Importance of Responsible Gambling

Responsible gambling protects players from harm by empowering them with information and tools to keep their play safe. Responsible gambling is preventative and can stop harm before it starts.

Responsible gambling can also help you enjoy your playing experience more. Imagine spending more than you planned to because you didn’t know how to make a wager. Not very much fun, right? But if you learn how the games work, understand the odds of winning and have realistic expectations about winning, you might find that you’ll have a better time.

View this PSA produced by the Responsible Gambling Council in partnership with ThinkTV to educate people about the risks of online gambling.

iGaming Ontario’s Role in Responsible Gambling

Through our contractual agreements with operators, iGaming Ontario requires Operators to:
1

Successfully achieve and maintain responsible gambling accreditation through the Responsible Gambling Council’s RG Check program to ensure a high standard of responsible gambling programming

2

Run problem gambling prevention and responsible gambling campaigns with a goal of achieving a balance between responsible gambling advertising and promotional marketing

3

Participate in a future coordinated and centralized self-exclusion program that will allow players to take a break from all regulated internet gaming websites in Ontario

4

Share anonymized player data for the purpose of advancing problem gambling and responsible gambling research

These four expectations are in addition to meeting the responsible gambling standards set out by Ontario’s regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.

As Ontario’s regulated igaming market matures, iGaming Ontario will learn more about the impacts of internet gaming and how people's gambling behaviours are changing over time. The findings of our research will help to inform the evolution of iGaming Ontario’s responsible gambling program and policies for operators, enabling a safer and more responsible experience for players and allowing them to #PlaywithConfidence.