Responsible Gambling at Online Casinos: How to Stay in Control and Keep Gambling a Safe Form of Entertainment

Gambling is a form of entertainment that many Canadians enjoy, and for most of them it stays that way. For some people it can turn into a source of harm, and it can do so quietly. Riverspin is an adults-only site: you must be 19 or older, or 18 or older if you live in Alberta, Manitoba or Quebec. This page is written for everyone who plays, not only for people who suspect they have a problem, because staying in control matters at every level of play.

What Responsible Gambling Means

Responsible gambling, also called safer gambling, means playing in a way that keeps the activity enjoyable and within your control. It involves understanding the risks, deciding in advance how much time and money you are prepared to spend, and noticing early when play stops being fun. It rests on three ideas:

• awareness of the risks that every game carries;
• control over how much you play, spend and risk;
• access to support when control becomes hard to keep.

Gambling is never a way to earn a living or to solve money problems. Every game has a house edge, and no bonus, streak or betting system can guarantee a win.

Warning Signs of Problem Gambling

Problem gambling usually grows slowly, and many people only notice it once their finances, relationships or health are already affected. The signs below fall into three groups. Recognising even one of them is a reason to pause and take a closer look.

Behavioural Signs

• spending more time or money on gambling than you planned;
• chasing losses with bigger or more frequent bets;
• hiding how much you gamble or lying about it to family and friends;
• neglecting work, studies or family duties to play.

Emotional Signs

• feeling anxious, irritable or restless when you are not playing;
• using gambling to escape stress, loneliness or low mood;
• feeling guilt or shame after a session;
• mood swings that follow wins and losses.

Financial Signs

• playing with money set aside for rent, bills or groceries;
• borrowing money or selling belongings to gamble;
• building up debt because of losses;
• missing payments you would normally make on time.

If you are not sure where you stand, the Responsible Gambling Council self-assessment quiz takes about two minutes and asks nine questions about the past twelve months. It gives you a clearer picture of your own habits without anyone else seeing your answers on this page.

How to Gamble Responsibly

Control comes from simple habits that you apply every time, not only after something goes wrong.

Set a Budget Before You Play

Decide how much you can spend and treat it as the price of an evening's entertainment, the way you would a ticket to a game or a concert. Use money that is left after rent, bills and savings, and do not top up the budget after a bad run.

Set a Time Limit

Decide how long you will play before you open the lobby. Long, unplanned sessions are one of the most common ways that play escalates, so keep an eye on the clock and stop when your time is up even if you are winning.

Habits That Keep Play Healthy

• never try to win back losses with a larger stake;
• do not play when you are angry, stressed, tired or have been drinking;
• take regular breaks and keep other activities in your week;
• never borrow money to gamble.

Responsible Gambling Tools at Riverspin

Riverspin gives you tools that are free to use and available from your account. Setting them up before you need them is the point.

• Deposit limits are set in the personal settings of the cashier and cap how much you can add to your account.
• The Gambling Limits section lets you restrict access to your account for a period you choose.
• Self-exclusion blocks your account for a period from three months to five years, or indefinitely. You can apply it yourself or ask support to apply it, and while it lasts you cannot deposit, withdraw or receive promotions.
• A cooling-off period applies before an exclusion can be lifted: at least 24 hours for a fixed term and seven days for an indefinite one.

Support answers 24 hours a day by live chat and at [email protected], so you can ask for any of these tools at any hour.

Self-Exclusion in Canada

Self-exclusion is one of the strongest steps for someone who wants to stop gambling for a while. It works only at the places where you have asked for it, so exclude yourself everywhere you play and not just at one site. A site-level exclusion at Riverspin covers your Riverspin account and no other website.

In Ontario, BetGuard is a free tool run by iGaming Ontario for people aged 19 or older. It lets you opt out of regulated online gambling sites in Ontario in a few minutes, without a player account, for six months, one year, five years or a custom term, and its customer care line is 1-833-776-7171. Rules and programs differ from province to province, so ask the helpline for your province which options exist where you live.

Getting Help in Canada

If you think gambling is becoming a problem, talking to someone is the most effective step you can take. The services below are free and confidential, and they also help friends and family members who are affected by someone else's gambling. If you are in distress right now, call a helpline instead of waiting, and call 911 in an emergency.

National and Online Support

• The Responsible Gambling Council offers a free counsellor search for people anywhere in Canada.
• Gambling Therapy is a free online service with practical advice and emotional support.
• GamTalk connects you with people who have been through the same situation.
• CAMH, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, can be reached toll-free on 1-800-463-2338.

Protecting Minors

Gambling is strictly for adults. The legal age is 19 in most provinces and 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, and Riverspin asks for identity and address documents before the first withdrawal. If children live in your home, keep your devices and payment cards out of their reach, never save your login on a shared device and consider installing parental control software that blocks gambling websites. Talking openly with young people about the risks is as important as any filter.

Contact

If you have a question about this page or about the tools on your account, write to [email protected]. We may update this page from time to time, and the version published here is the current one.