Responsible Gambling

For the vast majority of Canadians, gambling on golf and other sports is a form of entertainment — something enjoyable to do alongside watching a tournament or following your favourite players. Most people who bet do so within their means and without any lasting harm.

However, for some people gambling can become problematic. The good news is that help is widely available, and recognising the early signs of a problem is the most important first step. Whether you bet on the Masters, the PGA Championship, or weekly Tour events, keeping a few key principles in mind helps ensure that betting stays a positive experience.

Key principles for responsible gambling:

• Set a budget before you bet. Decide in advance how much you can afford to lose, and stick to it. Only gamble with money set aside for entertainment, never with funds earmarked for rent, groceries, or bills.
• Treat losses as the cost of entertainment. Like buying a cinema ticket or a round of golf, the money you wager is the price of the experience. Do not expect to profit.
• Never chase losses. If you have lost your session budget, stop. Placing additional bets to recover losses almost always leads to larger losses.
• Do not gamble under the influence. Alcohol and other substances impair judgement and lead to riskier decisions.
• Take regular breaks. Set time limits on your sessions. Step away regularly and engage in other activities.
• Keep gambling in perspective. It is one form of entertainment among many. If it begins to dominate your thoughts or time, it may be time to reassess.

Problem gambling can affect anyone, regardless of age, income, or background. It often develops gradually, which is why it can be difficult to identify early on. If any of the following warning signs feel familiar — whether in yourself or in someone you care about — we encourage you to reach out for support.

• Spending more money on gambling than you originally intended, regularly exceeding your self-set budget.
• Chasing losses — placing more bets to try to win back money already lost.
• Borrowing money, selling belongings, or using credit to fund gambling activity.
• Gambling affecting your performance at work, your studies, or your personal relationships.
• Feeling irritable, anxious, or restless when you are unable to gamble or when trying to cut back.
• Hiding your gambling activity from family members or close friends.
• Using gambling as a way to escape from stress, depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.
• Spending significant amounts of time thinking about past gambling sessions or planning future bets.
• Making repeated unsuccessful attempts to control, reduce, or stop gambling.

Experiencing one or more of these signs does not mean you have a serious problem, but it is a signal worth paying attention to. Speaking to a healthcare professional or a gambling support service is always a positive and courageous step.

Ontario-licensed sportsbooks regulated through iGaming Ontario — are required to provide a range of responsible gambling tools. We encourage all bettors to use these tools proactively, not just when a problem has already developed.

The following tools are commonly available:

• Deposit limits — Set a maximum daily, weekly, or monthly deposit amount. Once your limit is reached, no further deposits will be accepted until the next period. Requests to increase a limit typically have a mandatory cooling-off period.
• Loss limits — Cap the total amount you can lose over a given period. This is one of the most effective tools for staying within your budget.
• Session time limits — Set a maximum duration for each betting session. When the time limit is reached, you will be automatically logged out.
• Reality checks — Receive notifications at regular intervals during a session reminding you how long you have been gambling and how much you have wagered or lost.
• Self-exclusion — Temporarily or permanently exclude yourself from a sportsbook's platform. During an exclusion period you cannot open a new account, place bets, or receive promotional communications. See Section 6 below for more detail.
• Cooling-off periods — Take a short break (typically 24 hours to 30 days) without fully self-excluding. Your account is temporarily suspended during this time.

All of these tools are free to use and can be accessed through your account settings or by contacting a sportsbook's customer support team. We recommend setting deposit and loss limits from the moment you register, before any problems arise.

A wide range of free, confidential support services are available to Canadians affected by problem gambling. Whether you are seeking help for yourself or a loved one, the organisations below can provide guidance, counselling, and practical assistance.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is the provincial regulatory body responsible for overseeing Ontario's registered online gambling market. The AGCO sets the standards and requirements that all registered internet gaming operators must meet in order to legally accept bets from Ontario residents.

Licensed operators in Ontario are required under the AGCO's Registrar's Standards to implement a comprehensive suite of responsible gambling measures, including:

• Self-exclusion programmes that are honoured across all registered platforms.
• Mandatory deposit limits and spending tools for all players.
• Prominent display of responsible gambling information and helpline numbers.
• Access to play history and account activity summaries upon request.
• Age verification and identity checks to prevent minors from accessing gambling services.

The AGCO works in partnership with iGaming Ontario (iGO), a subsidiary of the AGCO that conducts and manages the regulated online gambling market in the province. Through the iGO framework, players in Ontario can be confident that registered sportsbooks are subject to rigorous standards of player protection, game fairness, and financial security.

To verify whether a sportsbook is licensed and permitted to operate in Ontario, consult the official list of registered gaming operators on iGaming Ontario's website.

Self-exclusion is one of the most effective tools available to someone who feels their gambling is becoming difficult to control. It allows you to formally request that a sportsbook prevent you from accessing your account, opening new accounts, and receiving promotional communications for a defined period of time.

Here is how self-exclusion typically works:

• Duration — You can choose to self-exclude for a defined period, commonly ranging from 3 months to 5 years, or opt for a permanent exclusion with no end date.
• Scope — Self-exclusion applies to the specific operator with whom you register. Some provinces offer multi-operator exclusion programmes that cover all registered platforms simultaneously.
• New accounts — Once excluded, you cannot open a new account with the same operator during the exclusion period. Responsible operators use identity verification to enforce this.
• Account closure — Your existing account will be suspended and you will be prevented from logging in. Any remaining balance should be returned to you in accordance with the operator's terms.
• Marketing — The operator must cease sending you promotional emails, SMS messages, and other marketing communications for the duration of your exclusion.

In Ontario, BetBlocker is a free tool that allows you to block access to gambling websites on your own devices. It is easy to install and can be applied across all your devices simultaneously. Visit betblocker.org to set it up.

If you breach a self-exclusion — for example, by attempting to register with a different email address — we encourage you to contact the operator's safer gambling team immediately and reinstate the exclusion. There is no shame in asking for help more than once.

To begin a self-exclusion with any sportsbook, navigate to the Responsible Gambling or Safer Gambling section of your account, or contact the operator's customer support team directly. They are required to process your request promptly and without judgement.