Help · Alberta
Getting help with gambling in Alberta
This page covers who to call about gambling in Alberta and how provincial self-exclusion works. It also points to the help desks inside each casino.
The Addiction Helpline and 211 Alberta are both free. This guide takes no bets and keeps no accounts, so nothing here asks anything of you.
Two free lines, open around the clock
The Addiction Helpline, run by Recovery Alberta, answers at 1-866-332-2322. It is free, confidential and open 24/7. Problem gambling is part of what it covers. A call is a reasonable first step, even when the worry still feels small.
211 Alberta is the second route, also free, confidential and 24/7. Call 211, text INFO to 211, or chat at ab.211.ca. Its staff refer people to gambling support, among other kinds of help.
Free · confidential · 24/7
Self-exclusion through AGLC
AGLC runs Alberta's Self-Exclusion Program, and enrolment happens online only, at selfexclusion.ca. You choose what the exclusion covers: Alberta casinos and racing entertainment centres, regulated online gaming, or both.
Terms run for six months, one year, two years or three years. The exclusion starts immediately. It cannot be cancelled early, so the length deserves a moment of thought. Questions can go to AGLC's self-exclusion line at 1-844-468-8034.
Inside each casino and racing entertainment centre, GameSense Advisors work beside a GameSense info centre. GameSense is AGLC's responsible gambling program. An advisor is one more person to ask, face to face.
Signs worth taking seriously
- Spending more on gambling than you planned, and doing it more than once.
- Going back to win lost money, the pattern usually called chasing losses.
- Hiding play, or the amounts involved, from people close to you.
- Borrowing money, or using money meant for other things, in order to gamble.
- Feeling restless or irritable on the days you are not playing.