Self-exclusion: a break built to last
You can always loosen a deposit limit you set for yourself, while self-exclusion is designed to be difficult to reverse. When limits no longer do the job, people in Canada have several options, ranging from light to firm, and each one can be set up on a phone.
Option 1: pause your casino account
Plenty of online casinos provide a short cooling-off period of a day, a week or a month, or a longer exclusion from within the account. To find out whether Kanuuna has this and what periods apply, look in your mobile profile or ask support. Bear in mind that such a pause stops at one account with one operator.
Option 2: BetGuard and provincial programs
Ontario residents can turn to BetGuard, the centralised self-exclusion program from iGaming Ontario, which spans every regulated iGaming site in the province. This is the firmer choice:
- you sign up through the BetGuard website;
- one registration applies to all regulated Ontario iGaming sites;
- the available terms are 6 months, 1 year or 5 years.
Ontario's program is at betguard.ca, and other provinces run theirs through the operator or lottery corporation.
Setting it up on your phone
- Go to the BetGuard website in your phone's browser and start the registration.
- Follow the opt-out steps that BetGuard shows you on its site.
- Pick your term. If you can't decide, go with the longer one, since a longer term is better at outlasting any urge to cut it short.
- Save your confirmation as an email or screenshot.
Site menus and wording may change over time, so rely on BetGuard's own instructions over any walkthrough posted elsewhere.
Option 3: shut the side entrances
Your everyday setup can do a lot to back up an exclusion. Remove casino bookmarks and home-screen icons, opt out of promotional emails and texts, and switch off notifications. Check your bank's settings too, as many banking apps can block certain types of card payment. Letting someone close to you know isn't a weakness, but a useful safety net.
As your term runs out
Set a calendar reminder for a week before the end date, then use those days to ask yourself honestly whether you want gambling in your life again. If you still aren't sure, you can set the restriction again. Returning without any limits carries the most risk, so if you do go back, begin with tight deposit and time limits in the operator's profile.
Finding someone to talk to
An exclusion shuts the door, but it can't tell you why you wanted it shut. In Ontario, ConnexOntario can help you explore that for free, at any hour: call 1-866-531-2600 or text CONNEX to 247247. Limits and warning signs are covered under responsible gambling.
Living outside Ontario? ConnexOntario serves Ontario only, and each of the other provinces has its own help lines. Anywhere you are, Gambling Therapy provides online support to anyone affected by gambling, in any country.