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Gambling Support BC

Last updated on November 20, 2025

Most people in B.C. who gamble do so for entertainment and participate responsibly. However, research shows that a small percentage of players may develop problems related to excessive gambling.

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When gambling stops being a game

Gambling addiction is treatable and help is available.

Get help in recognizing the warning signs of gambling addiction and information on free programs, services and resources available to assist problem gamblers and their families.

Call us toll-free 24/7 at 1-888-795-6111

Visit the Gambling Support BC Website

What B.C. is doing about problem gambling

The Province of British Columbia is committed to ensuring that gaming in B.C. is conducted and managed with integrity and that gaming events and products are offered in a socially responsible manner.

Most British Columbians who gamble do so for entertainment and participate responsibly. However, research shows that a small percentage of players may develop problems related to excessive gambling.

Government’s Responsible Gambling Strategy addresses problem gambling. Its main components are public awareness and education, treatment and prevention, research, training, evaluation and policy development. As part of this strategy, the Gambling Support BC Program provides free counselling to individuals and those close to them who may be negatively impacted by gambling.

Responsible gambling strategy

The strategy's goals are to:

  • Create public awareness of risks associated with gambling
  • Deliver gambling in a manner that encourages responsible gambling and informed choice
  • Provide treatment and support to those impacted by problem gambling

About Gambling Support BC

The B.C. Government provides British Columbians with free information and resources to support informed choices and healthy behaviours with respect to gambling participation. Free treatment and support services are also available for anyone struggling with their own or a loved one’s gambling.

The program offers:

  • A 24-hour, toll-free Gambling Support Line: 1-888-795-6111
  • Free community-based counselling services through contracted agencies and qualified counsellors
  • www.gamblingsupportbc.ca, a web site that provides information on gambling and gambling addiction (including the odds of winning and myths about normal gambling behaviour)
  • Province-wide education and awareness services
  • Brochures, help-line stickers and posters promoting responsible gambling and the Gambling Support BC Program - available at casinos, commercial bingo halls and lottery retail outlets
  • Advertising and marketing standards for the gambling industry
  • Research
  • Education and training in problem gambling issues to addiction counsellors and allied professionals throughout the province

Other related initiatives

  • Anyone under the age of 19 is prohibited from participating in commercial gaming activities
  • The number of casinos and other gaming facilities are limited in the province
  • Casinos, community gaming centres, bingo halls and PlayNow.com are required to provide a free, voluntary self-exclusion program under which a person may ask to be barred from such gaming facilities for a specified period
  • In every casino in British Columbia, a GameSense Advisor is available to those experiencing harm from gambling

Information for municipalities on the risks of gambling

Hosting a gambling facility is a major decision for local governments. In 2015, B.C. committed to developing information outlining the public health risks of gambling for municipalities. This information will help ensure municipalities and their decision makers have a full understanding of the risks and benefits of expanding gambling in their communities.

The following information may assist local governments in understanding the potential public health risks of gambling:

B.C.'s "A Plan for Public Health and Gambling" includes 21 commitments aimed at delivering gambling in a socially responsible way. The plan was in response to a report released by the BC Provincial Health Officer (PHO) in 2013 called "Lower the Stakes: A Public Health Approach to Gambling in British Columbia".

For information on the process of becoming a host local government for a gaming facility, please see the British Columbia Lottery Corporation website.

Standards, studies and reports

Annual reports, studies, and plans related to responsible and problem gambling in British Columbia.

Getting Help

Gambling addiction is treatable and help is available:

Contact information

Contact the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch if you have questions about responsible and problem gambling in B.C.