No. 1Gambling Support BC
Gambling Support BC is the province's support program. Its helpline, 1-888-795-6111, is toll-free and answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services are free for BC residents.
Helpline navigators can help right away, find services near you, or connect you with a free counsellor. According to Gambling Support BC, the program offers:
- 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 casino and community gaming centre in BC has a GameSense Info Centre, an interactive kiosk on or near the gaming floor. 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 explain how games work, talk through limits, or help with self-exclusion. 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
Game Break is BCLC's voluntary self-exclusion program. You choose a term of 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or 3 years. The exclusion begins as soon as you enrol, and it cannot be cancelled or shortened before the term ends. You may extend it at any time.
You can enrol in any of these ways:
- in person at a gambling facility or a BCLC office
- virtually, with a GameSense Advisor
- directly on PlayNow.com
For enrolment questions, you may call 1-866-815-0222 and press 3 (7 a.m. to midnight daily), or use Live Chat on GameSense.com or PlayNow.com.
BCLC's April 2025 fact sheet says that anyone who enrols is excluded from both PlayNow and all BC gambling facilities, wherever they enrol. An older listing elsewhere describes online enrolment differently, so you may wish to confirm the coverage with an advisor when you sign up. Because every visitor's photo ID is scanned at the door and checked against the restricted list, which includes Game Break, the exclusion is applied at 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. Decide what you are comfortable spending, as you would for a dinner or a show, and treat it as the cost of the evening rather than something to recover.
- 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 |