No. 1Gambling Support BC
Gambling Support BC is the province's support program. Its toll-free helpline, 1-888-795-6111, is answered day and night, all week. Services are free for BC residents.
Helpline navigators can help right away, find services near you, or connect you with a free counsellor. The services of Gambling Support BC include:
- free, confidential one-on-one and group counselling
- support for your own gambling or a family member's
- anonymous outreach support
- Indigenous services
You do not need to be in difficulty to call. Some people simply have a question, and the helpline is there for that as well. The provincial page describes the program in more detail.
No. 2GameSense advisors and info centres
GameSense is BCLC's responsible gambling program, which launched in 2009. Every BC casino and community gaming centre offers a GameSense Info Centre, an interactive kiosk on the gaming floor or close by. GameSense Advisors are staff who work on site at these venues. BCLC completed the rollout of advisors to every venue in fall 2019.
If you are visiting River Rock Casino Resort, you may wish to ask a staff member to direct you to the info centre. Advisors can help with Game Break, the self-exclusion program. You can also reach an advisor away from a casino at 1-866-815-0222 or through PlayNow Live Chat.
No. 3Game Break voluntary self-exclusion
Under Game Break, the voluntary self-exclusion program of BCLC, you may choose 6 months, or 1, 2 or 3 years. The exclusion begins as soon as you enrol, and no shortening or cancellation is possible before the entire term is over. You may extend it at any time.
You can enrol in any of these ways:
- by visiting a BCLC office or a gambling facility
- virtually, with a GameSense Advisor
- directly on PlayNow.com
Enrolment questions may go to 1-866-815-0222 (press 3, daily 7 a.m. to midnight) or to Live Chat on either GameSense.com or PlayNow.com.
Wherever a person enrols, the exclusion covers PlayNow as well as every gambling facility in BC. You may wish to confirm the coverage with an advisor at the time of enrolment. Game Break forms part of the restricted list, and each visitor's photo ID is scanned against it at the door, so the exclusion takes effect on entry.
Prizes cannot be won while you are self-excluded. To return after your term ends, you must complete the online Game Plan course. Further details are on BCLC's Game Break page.
No. 4Before a visit: a budget and a time
Many visitors find it helpful to settle two things before they arrive.
- An amount. Choose a comfortable sum, as for dinner or a show, and see it as the evening's cost, not money to win back.
- A time. Choose when you will leave. If you are arriving by the Canada Line, a particular train home can serve as a natural end point.
Gambling is for adults 19 and over in British Columbia. If an evening has not gone as planned, the services above are available at any hour. If you have questions about playing online in BC, the desk's page on online casinos in BC sets out the official position.
No. 5Contacts at a glance
| Service | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Support BC helpline | 1-888-795-6111 | 24/7, toll-free |
| GameSense Advisors | 1-866-815-0222 | See GameSense |
| Game Break enrolment line | 1-866-815-0222, press 3 | 7 a.m. to midnight daily |