HomeLimits and help
Setting limits at Gateway Casinos
Limits on money and time hold up better when they are decided at home, before setting out for Bay Street. Help in Ontario is one phone call away, and the numbers are listed below.
By the Bay Street deskChecked October 14, 2026
Set the limit at home
Decide two numbers before leaving home: how much money to spend and how long to stay. Count that money as what the outing costs, the same as a ticket, and never as money to win back. Take breaks away from the floor and check the clock. When the amount is gone, the visit is over.
A house edge is part of every casino game: an advantage built into the rules. Over the long run, players taken as a whole lose more than they win, so a loss is what to expect. Ontario allows no one under 19 to enter a casino or stay inside, apart from staff on duty.
Where to get help in Ontario
- ConnexOntario is the Ontario help line for problem gambling, mental health or addiction; calls to 1-866-531-2600 are free and confidential, at any hour. A message saying CONNEX to 247247 also reaches it, as does the chat on connexontario.ca.
- With My PlayBreak, OLG's self-exclusion program, people pick a 3-month, 6-month or 1- to 5-year break from all Ontario casinos. A chosen term cannot be shortened; to enrol, phone 1-800-387-0098 (OLG Support Centre), ask casino staff or go to a PlaySmart Centre.
- OLG's Virtual PlaySmart Centre can be reached at 1-833-888-2306 from 11 am to 7 pm, on each of the 7 days of the week.
- iGaming Ontario runs BetGuard at betguard.ca, which removes a person from all regulated online gambling in Ontario, OLG.ca included. Each person chooses the length: 1 year, 6 months, 5 years or a term of their own; walk-in casinos such as Bay Street's are not covered.
When the worry is about someone else
The help line serves more than the person who gambles. ConnexOntario also takes calls from people worried about someone else's gambling, such as a family member or a friend. Calls to 1-866-531-2600 are free and confidential, and someone answers at any hour. The same service can be reached by texting CONNEX to 247247 or chatting at connexontario.ca.
Short questions, short answers
Is ConnexOntario open at night?
Yes, calls to 1-866-531-2600 are answered at any hour, free of charge and in confidence. A text with CONNEX to 247247 also gets through, as does the chat on connexontario.ca.
Can a My PlayBreak term be shortened?
No, a casino break cannot be shortened once it is chosen. A break may run for 1 to 5 years, for 6 months or for 3 months, so the length needs careful thought before enrolling.
Does BetGuard cover the casino on Bay Street?
No, BetGuard is for Ontario online gambling sites that are regulated, and OLG.ca is among them. Walk-in casinos, such as the Bay Street one, use My PlayBreak, which blocks entry to every Ontario casino.