What self-exclusion is — and when to use it
Self-exclusion is a voluntary, binding ban: you register once, and the operator is obliged to close your access, stop marketing to you, and keep you out for the full term you chose. It’s different from a deposit limit (which caps spending) or a time-out (a short break you set in your account settings). Exclusion is the step you take when limits haven’t worked — when the honest answer to “can I moderate this?” has become no.
Three signs it’s time: you’re gambling money that was committed elsewhere (rent, groceries, debt payments); you’re chasing losses — depositing again the same night to win back what just went; or you’re hiding the activity from people close to you. Any one of these is reason enough. Self-exclusion works best started today, not after “one more session,” and paired with a call to a free helpline — the numbers for every province are at the bottom of this page.
Self-exclusion by province
Gambling is regulated provincially, so the tool you get depends on where you live. Here’s the current picture:
| Province | Program | What one registration covers |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Province-wide registry (selfexclusion.ca) | Every AGLC-registered online gambling site plus land-based casinos and racing entertainment centres — the broadest program in Canada since the market opened in July 2026 |
| Ontario | Operator-based exclusion + land-based self-exclusion | Each regulated online operator enforces exclusion on its own sites; there is no single registry covering all iGaming Ontario sites at once, so you exclude per operator |
| BC & Manitoba | BCLC GameBreak | PlayNow.com (the only regulated online option in both provinces) and BC land-based casinos |
| Quebec | Loto-Québec self-exclusion | Espacejeux (the provincial monopoly site) and Loto-Québec land-based venues |
| Atlantic provinces | Atlantic Lottery tools | ALC.ca online play in NB, NS, PE and NL, plus provincial land-based programs |
| Saskatchewan | PlayNow (via SIGA/BCLC partnership) | PlayNow.com in Saskatchewan and SIGA land-based casinos |
The Alberta model is the one to understand, because it’s new and genuinely different: since the regulated market launched on 13 July 2026, one registration covers every regulated online site in the province at once — bet365, BetMGM, FanDuel and the rest of the 40+ registered brands — plus physical casinos. Ontario, by contrast, opened its market in 2022 without a cross-operator online registry, so an Ontarian who self-excludes from one casino brand can still open an account at the next one. If you’re excluding in Ontario, you must work down the list of operators you’ve used — and consider the blocking software below as the backstop.
The offshore gap: what provincial programs don’t cover
This matters on this site more than anywhere: no provincial self-exclusion program covers offshore casinos. Alberta’s registry, GameBreak, Loto-Québec’s program — all of them bind only the operators regulated in that province. An offshore casino licensed in Curaçao, Anjouan or by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has never heard of your provincial registration and will happily open you an account.
If you play at offshore sites and need to stop, you need three layers, used together:
- Operator-level self-exclusion at every offshore site where you hold an account (how-to below).
- Device-level blocking software that stops you reaching gambling sites at all — including ones you haven’t signed up to yet.
- Money-level friction — bank card locks and removing stored payment methods — so an impulse can’t become a deposit in ninety seconds.
No single layer is enough on its own: exclusion covers known accounts, blockers cover new sites, and bank friction covers the moment of impulse. Together they’re genuinely hard to get around.
How to self-exclude from an offshore casino, step by step
Offshore operators licensed by reputable bodies are required to honour self-exclusion requests — but you have to make the request unambiguous. Do it in writing, not live chat:
- 1. Email support directly
- Use the support address in the site footer. Include your full name, username and registered email so there’s no lookup ambiguity.
- 2. Use the words that trigger the obligation
- “I am requesting permanent self-exclusion for gambling-related reasons. Close my account and do not reopen it under any circumstances.” Named as a gambling-harm request, the licensee must exclude you — not downgrade it to a casual account closure you could reverse next week.
- 3. Withdraw your balance first
- Request any remaining withdrawal before or alongside the exclusion email — a closed account can make retrieving funds slower.
- 4. Save the email and the reply
- If the operator ever lets you back in, that email is the evidence your complaint to their licensing body (Curaçao, Anjouan or Kahnawake — named in the site footer) rests on.
- 5. Repeat for every site
- Offshore exclusion is per-operator. Work through every site where you’ve ever had an account, including ones you haven’t used in months.
Blocking software and bank-level blocks
Blocking tools solve the problem exclusion can’t: the thousands of gambling sites you haven’t registered at. Install on every device you use:
- BetBlocker — free, run by a charity, covers tens of thousands of gambling sites, and the block cannot be removed before the term you set expires (from 24 hours to 5 years). The right default for most people, not least because the price of changing your mind is zero.
- Gamban — paid (a few dollars a month), widely used, covers gambling sites and apps across all platforms, and is deliberately difficult to uninstall during an active block.
- GamBlock — the longest-running paid option, aimed at users who need the most tamper-resistant block available.
Then add friction at the money layer. Most major Canadian banks let you lock a credit or debit card instantly from their app, and several can block or flag gambling-coded transactions — call your bank and ask specifically what gambling controls they offer. Remove saved cards from any gambling accounts you haven’t yet closed, and delete e-wallet or crypto-exchange apps you only use for gambling. The goal isn’t to make gambling impossible — it’s to make it slower than the impulse.
Not ready for exclusion? Start with limits
If you’re reading this page early — concerned, not in crisis — the lighter tools are genuinely worth using first. Every site worth playing at (and every site we review) offers them in account settings:
- Deposit limits — a hard cap per day, week or month. Set it at signup, when you’re calm, not mid-session. Decreases take effect immediately; increases should force a cooling-off delay.
- Time-outs — a short self-imposed break (24 hours to 6 weeks) that locks the account but isn’t a formal exclusion.
- Reality checks — on-screen reminders of time and money spent this session.
One honest rule of thumb: if you’re setting a limit to control a problem you already know you have, skip the limit and self-exclude. Limits are for keeping entertainment spending in its lane — they are not a treatment for gambling that already hurts.
Free, confidential help — every province
Every service below is free, confidential, available to players and worried family members, and staffed by people who have heard it all before. Calling one is the single most effective step on this page:
| Where you are | Service | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | ConnexOntario — 24/7 helpline | 1-866-531-2600 · connexontario.ca |
| Alberta | GameSense AB · provincial registry | gamesenseab.ca · selfexclusion.ca |
| BC | GameSense BC / GameBreak | gamesense.bclc.com · 1-888-795-6111 |
| Quebec | Jeu : aide et référence — 24/7 | 1-800-461-0140 |
| Anywhere in Canada | ResponsibleGambling.ca (RGC) | responsiblegambling.org |
If someone close to you is the one struggling: you can’t register exclusion on their behalf, but you can call any line above yourself — they counsel family members on practical next steps — help install a blocker on shared devices, and raise gambling-transaction blocks with your bank on shared accounts. You must be 19+ (18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec) to gamble anywhere in Canada.
If it’s urgent today: call ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (or Jeu : aide et référence 1-800-461-0140 in Quebec) before doing anything else on this page. The registrations and blockers can all be done an hour from now — the call is the step that makes the rest happen.
Frequently asked questions
What is self-exclusion?
A formal, voluntary ban you place on yourself with a gambling operator or a provincial program. Once registered, the operator must close or suspend your account, stop all marketing to you, and refuse to let you play for the period you chose — typically from a few months to five years, or permanently. It’s a binding commitment designed to take the decision out of your hands on a bad day.
Does self-exclusion cover every casino in Canada?
No single program does. Provincial registries cover the sites regulated in that province — Alberta’s covers all AGLC-registered sites and land-based casinos, BC’s GameBreak covers PlayNow — but none of them touch offshore casinos. For offshore sites you need operator-level self-exclusion plus a device-level blocker like BetBlocker or Gamban.
How do I self-exclude from an offshore casino?
Email the operator’s support address in writing. State your full name, account username and email, and say explicitly: “I am requesting permanent self-exclusion for gambling-related reasons — close my account and do not reopen it.” The ‘gambling-related reasons’ wording matters: reputable licensees must then exclude you rather than treat it as a routine closure. Save the email, and repeat for every site where you hold an account.
Is there a Canadian equivalent of GamStop?
Not nationally. The UK’s GamStop blocks every UK-licensed site with one registration; Canada has no cross-country equivalent because gambling is provincial. Alberta’s registry (since July 2026) is the closest in spirit — one registration covering every regulated online site in the province plus land-based casinos. Elsewhere, you combine the provincial program with per-operator exclusion and blocking software.
Can I cancel self-exclusion early if I change my mind?
Generally no — that’s the point. Provincial programs and reputable operators hold you to the full term, and most require a cooling-off process even after it ends, sometimes with a mandatory conversation before reinstatement. Treat the duration you choose as final, and choose it honestly.
Will self-exclusion stop gambling ads reaching me?
From the operators you’ve excluded from, yes — they must stop direct marketing. It won’t stop general advertising, which is one reason to pair exclusion with device-level blockers (which also block the sites themselves) and with unsubscribing from every gambling newsletter in your inbox.
What should I do if a site lets me play while self-excluded?
For a provincially regulated site, complain to the regulator — AGCO/iGaming Ontario in Ontario, AGLC in Alberta, GPEB/BCLC in BC — because enforcement failures are taken seriously. For an offshore site, escalate to the licensing body named in the site footer (Curaçao, Anjouan or Kahnawake). Keep your original exclusion email as evidence; it’s the document the complaint turns on.
How can I help a family member who gambles too much?
You can’t self-exclude someone else — the registration must come from the player, and some provinces offer family-initiated processes only for land-based venues. What you can do: share the helplines below (they counsel family members too, free and confidentially), help install BetBlocker or Gamban on shared devices, and talk to your bank about blocking gambling transactions on shared cards. ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) will advise family members on next steps.