Help, 24/7
Gambling help in Alberta, 211 and more
In Alberta, gambling help is free and confidential, and it can be reached 24/7. The first call can be to 211, which gives referrals for gambling support.
Four places to turn
- 211 Alberta: reach it by phone at 211, with a text reading INFO sent to 211, or through the online chat on the 211 Alberta website. No charge, kept confidential and available 24/7, with referrals to gambling support.
- Addiction Helpline (Recovery Alberta): 1-866-332-2322. Problem gambling is within its scope, and calls are free, confidential and answered 24/7.
- Self-exclusion: AGLC's Self-Exclusion Program takes enrolment online only, at selfexclusion.ca. It starts immediately.
- GameSense: the responsible gambling program of AGLC, with GameSense Advisors plus an info centre at every casino and racing entertainment centre.
Self-exclusion, step by step
Self-exclusion in Alberta runs through AGLC's Self-Exclusion Program. Enrolment happens online only, at selfexclusion.ca. The first decision concerns reach: regulated online gaming, the casinos and racing entertainment centres of Alberta, or the two combined. Choosing both puts the venues and regulated online gaming under one exclusion.
Next comes length, picked from four terms: a three-year, two-year or one-year period, or six months. As soon as enrolment is finished, the exclusion takes effect. It cannot be cancelled early, so the period chosen at enrolment runs in full.
At the casino
GameSense is AGLC's responsible gambling program in Alberta. Every casino and racing entertainment centre holds GameSense Advisors and its own GameSense info centre, so support sits under the same roof as the games.
The age rule is simple. In Alberta, the legal age for gambling is 18. When a guest seems under 25, casino staff have to see photo ID that is valid and issued by a government. Guests in their early twenties do well to carry that ID.
Questions
Who can be called in the middle of the night?
Both lines answer 24/7. The Addiction Helpline (Recovery Alberta) is 1-866-332-2322. 211 Alberta takes a call to 211, a text of INFO to 211 or a message through its online chat.
Can self-exclusion be cancelled early?
No, it cannot be cancelled early. It applies at once and holds for the entire term picked: one, two or three years, or a six-month period.
Does calling for help cost anything?
Neither line charges for a call: 211 Alberta and the Addiction Helpline are both free of charge. Each one is confidential as well.