Where is gambling help in Ottawa?
Help with gambling in Ontario is free, and the main line answers at any hour of the day or night. This page lists the numbers to call and the two self-exclusion programs: My PlayBreak for casinos and BetGuard for regulated online sites.
Who takes the call?
ConnexOntario answers at 1-866-531-2600. The call is free and confidential, and the line is open 24/7. For anyone who would rather not talk, there are two other ways in: text CONNEX to 247247, or use the chat at connexontario.ca.
In a crisis, call or text 988. That number reaches the Suicide Crisis Helpline, which also runs 24/7. Both numbers are worth saving in a phone's contacts ahead of time, not in the middle of a hard night.
How does casino self-exclusion work?
My PlayBreak is OLG's self-exclusion program. It covers Ontario casinos, Charitable Gaming Centres and OLG.ca. For a casino break, the terms are 3 or 6 months, or 1 to 5 years. Once it starts, entry to any Ontario casino is barred, and the break cannot be cancelled early. That includes Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa on Albion Road.
There are three ways to enrol. Call the OLG Support Centre at 1-800-387-0098, ask staff on site at the casino, or see a coordinator at a PlaySmart Centre.
PlaySmart, at playsmart.ca, is OLG's responsible-gambling site. Its centres operate at every OLG casino, in partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council.
And online?
BetGuard, at betguard.ca, is run by iGaming Ontario. A person aged 19 or older can use it to opt out of every regulated Ontario online gambling site at once. It does not cover land-based casinos.
Both are separate programs run by different bodies: BetGuard by iGaming Ontario, My PlayBreak by OLG. Someone who wants to stay away from both the casino floor and online sites would need My PlayBreak as well.
What keeps a night in hand?
Before heading out, settle the amount to spend and the hour to go home. Write them down if that helps. Treat the money as the price of the evening, the same as a concert ticket or a dinner, and not as something to win back. A phone alarm can mark the hour. When either limit is reached, the night is over.
Questions to the desk
- When can I call ConnexOntario?
- At any hour: the line at 1-866-531-2600 is free, confidential and open 24/7. A text with the word CONNEX to 247247 works too.
- Can I cancel My PlayBreak early?
- No, a casino break cannot be cancelled early. Terms are 3 or 6 months, or 1 to 5 years, so the length is worth deciding with care before enrolling.
- Does BetGuard keep me out of the casino?
- No, BetGuard covers regulated Ontario online gambling sites only, not land-based casinos. To be barred from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa and every other Ontario casino, enrol in My PlayBreak through OLG.