Gambling Support BC: call any time
The provincial helpline is 1-888-795-6111. It is toll-free and open 24/7. Services are free for BC residents.
When you call, a helpline navigator can help right away. They can also find services near you or connect you with a free counsellor.
What the program offers:
- Free, confidential one-on-one counselling
- Group counselling
- Anonymous outreach support
- Indigenous services
More details are on gamblingsupportbc.ca and on the province's Gambling Support BC page. For general questions, not urgent help, the program also lists an email address, info@igcobc.ca, and a Victoria line, 250-387-5311.
When it stops being fun
There is no test you need to pass before you call. Some everyday signs that a change might help:
- Spending more time or money than you planned, more often than not
- Going back to win back what you lost
- Keeping it quiet from people close to you
- Feeling tense or low when you are not playing
- Bills, sleep or work starting to slip
If any of this sounds familiar, a short call is a reasonable next step.
Friends and family can reach out too
Gambling Support BC offers counselling for your own gambling or for a family member's. If someone you care about is struggling, you can call the same number, 1-888-795-6111, and talk it through.
Game Break: a set break from gambling
Game Break is BCLC's voluntary self-exclusion program. You choose a term of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or 3 years.
- It starts as soon as you enrol.
- It cannot be cancelled or shortened until the term ends.
- You can extend it at any time.
You can enrol in person at a gambling facility or a BCLC office, virtually with a GameSense Advisor, or directly on PlayNow.com. For help by phone, call 1-866-815-0222 and press 3 (7 a.m. to midnight daily), or use Live Chat on GameSense.com or PlayNow.com.
BCLC's April 2025 fact sheet says enrolment covers both PlayNow and all BC gambling facilities, wherever you sign up. An older listing elsewhere says online enrolment covers online play only, so it is worth confirming with an advisor when you enrol.
While enrolled, you cannot win, and BCLC will not pay a major prize. Since every visitor shows photo ID at BC casino doors, IDs are checked against the list that includes Game Break enrollees. To return after your term, you complete an online course called Game Plan.
GameSense at the Coquitlam casino
GameSense is BCLC's responsible gambling program, running since 2009. Every BC casino has a GameSense Info Centre, an interactive kiosk on or near the gaming floor, with GameSense Advisors on staff.
BCLC's casino site lists a GameSense Info Centre at Great Canadian Casino Vancouver on United Boulevard. Advisors can explain how games work, talk through limits, or help with Game Break. You can also reach them at 1-866-815-0222 or through PlayNow Live Chat.
Planning a first trip? Our first visit page covers ID at the door and the 19+ rule.