Who to call
| Service | Number | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling: Help and Referral (Jeu : aide et référence) | 1-800-461-0140 (514-527-0140 in the Montréal area) | Anyone in Quebec; free, confidential, bilingual, 24/7 |
| ConnexOntario | 1-866-531-2600 | Ontario residents, including visitors from Ottawa; 24/7 |
| Responsible Gambling Council | responsiblegambling.org | Information and tools, Canada-wide |
Self-exclusion in Quebec
Loto-Québec offers three mechanisms on its Wise Play site:
- Self-exclusion from casinos and gaming halls: three months to five years, covering Loto-Québec's casinos, Lac-Leamy included.
- Self-exclusion from online gambling: three months to five years on Loto-Québec's own online site.
- A break from online games: one to 89 days.
Read the details and start the process on Loto-Québec's self-exclusion page. At Lac-Leamy, a facial-recognition system at the entrance checks visitors only against people who consented to be in the self-exclusion database; the operator says that if there is no match, nobody is identified and no data is saved.
Ontario visitors
If you live in Ontario, your own province's help line is ConnexOntario, and Ontario's casino age is 19. Self-exclusion from Ontario's venues is separate from Quebec's; one does not cover the other.
Habits that help
Loto-Québec's own advice before a visit is short: set a budget and stick to it, take a break during a session, keep an eye on the time. We would add:
- Leave cards in the room safe and bring only the cash you planned to spend.
- Decide the time you will leave before you sit down, and set an alarm.
- Do not try to win back losses; that is the moment to stop.
- Do not gamble to cope with stress, grief or debt.
- Remember that every casino game is designed to keep a share for the house over time.
Signs it may be a problem
Spending more than planned, hiding gambling from people close to you, borrowing to gamble, feeling restless when you cannot, or gambling to escape: any of these is a reason to call one of the lines above. The call is free and you do not need to give your name.
Who regulates
In Quebec, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) is the provincial regulator for gaming. Loto-Québec operates the casinos.
This site
Lounge Wheel offers no gambling of any kind, takes no money from gambling operators, and links to no online casino. The land-based versus online page explains the provincial rules.