Gambling is entertainment that costs money. It is not income, and it is not a way to recover a loss. If it has stopped feeling like entertainment, the sections below are the useful part of this site.
Signs worth taking seriously. Betting more than you decided to. Chasing a loss with a larger bet. Gambling with money meant for something else. Hiding how much you play. Feeling you need to gamble to feel normal. Borrowing to keep going. Any one of these on its own is worth acting on.
Free confidential help in Canada. ConnexOntario offers 24/7 support for Ontario residents. The Responsible Gambling Council provides resources nationally. Every province funds a problem-gambling service, and none of them cost anything to contact.
Tools that already exist in your account. Every operator listed on this site provides deposit limits, loss limits, session reminders, time-outs and self-exclusion in account settings. A deposit limit set before you play is the single most effective of these, because it is a decision made when you are calm.
Practical rules that work. Decide the amount before you open the site. Never deposit to recover a loss. Keep gambling money separate from money with a job. Take a time-out after a big win as well as a big loss.
For family and friends. The provincial services above support people affected by someone else's gambling, not only the gambler. You do not need their permission to call.
19+ in most of Canada, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.