Free Help and Game Break in B.C.
This page covers two things worth knowing before any casino visit. One is a free phone line for gambling worries. The other is Game Break, a way to ask to be kept out of casinos in B.C.
Gambling Support BC: 1-888-795-6111
Gambling Support BC answers at 1-888-795-6111. The call is free and confidential. Calls are taken round the clock, all week long, so any hour works.
You do not need a plan or the right words to call. You can simply say what is going on.
Game Break in plain words
BCLC's program for voluntary self-exclusion is called Game Break. Self-exclusion means you ask to be kept out of casinos, by your own choice.
Enrolment happens in person. You can do it at any casino, community gaming centre or commercial bingo hall. Take a government-issued photo ID with you, for example a driver's licence. A GameSense Advisor or a staff member walks you through it and takes your photo.
From June 26, 2023, B.C. casinos have required government-issued photo ID from every visitor. Guards scan that card on arrival and look for it on the restricted list, where Game Break enrollees appear too. Personal information of admitted visitors is not saved by the system.
Does calling Gambling Support BC cost anything?
No, the call is free. It is also confidential, and the line at 1-888-795-6111 is open 24/7.
Can you enrol in Game Break at Starlight Casino?
Yes, enrolment works in person at any casino, and Starlight is a casino. Bring government-issued photo ID. A GameSense Advisor or staff member will guide you and take a photo.