What should I do right away if I feel my gambling is getting out of control?

That gut feeling — this isn't fun anymore, it's a compulsion — is worth acting on immediately, not tomorrow. Here's what Ontario's regulated system actually gives you to work with right now.

Your fastest move: BetGuard

BetGuard is a tool that enables individuals aged 19 and older to voluntarily opt out of all Ontario regulated online gaming platforms through one online portal. That means a single action at betguard.ca covers every licensed site in the province at once — you don't need to contact each operator separately.

By opting out through BetGuard.ca, players are prevented from accessing their existing accounts, creating new accounts, or receiving marketing communications from any regulated igaming site in Ontario. You can choose to opt out for a term of 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or a custom term. Pick whatever feels right — you can always start with the shorter option if a full multi-year commitment feels daunting.

In addition, every regulated internet gaming operator in Ontario offers its own self-exclusion program, and details about their program can be found on each operator's website — so if you only want to step back from one particular site rather than the whole market, that route is also available.

While you still have access: use the limit tools first

If you're not ready to self-exclude but want to put a guardrail up immediately, go into your account settings and lower your deposit or spending limits right now. Under the AGCO's Registrar's Standards, where a gaming limit has been previously established, a request to relax or eliminate that limit shall only be implemented after a cooling-off period — and that cooling-off period is 24 hours. In plain terms: tightening a limit takes effect instantly; loosening it is deliberately slowed down. That 24-hour friction is there to protect you from an impulsive reversal.

Every regulated gaming site in Ontario has its own unique tools that must meet the AGCO Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming — at a minimum, operators must provide spend-limit and time-limit setting tools and the ability to take a short-term break or to self-exclude for a longer term.

How to tell you're on a site that has these protections

Every internet gaming website offered by a fully registered and approved operator in Ontario displays both the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos — if you see these logos, you know the website operations are managed by iGaming Ontario and regulated by the AGCO, giving you confidence that you're playing on a secure site that offers a safer and more socially responsible experience. If those logos aren't there, you're on an unregistered offshore site that has none of these safeguards — another strong reason to stick to the regulated market.

Talk to someone

The tools above are practical, but they work best alongside actual support. ConnexOntario's problem gambling line — 1-866-531-2600 — is free, confidential, and available around the clock. A real person can help you figure out next steps, whether that's counselling, a referral, or just talking it through. You don't need to be in crisis to call; noticing a problem early is exactly when it helps most.

The bottom line is that Ontario's regulated online casino market was specifically built with these exit ramps. BetGuard in particular is a genuinely useful piece of infrastructure — one request, every licensed site, done. If the feeling that prompted your question is still there tomorrow, that's your signal to use it.