Responsible Gambling

Gambling involves risks. Play responsibly. Every draw, every spin and every game is independent of the ones before it: a losing streak does not mean a win is due, and no method can predict an outcome. Over time, games of chance are designed to return more to those who offer them than to those who play them.

The safest approach is to treat gambling as an entertainment expense, like a night at the movies. Set your budget before you start, using money that is not meant for rent, groceries or bills, and think of it as already spent.

You must be 18 or older to open an account and play on OtoQuébec. Your date of birth is requested at sign-up, and your age is then confirmed during identity verification. The question you see when you first arrive on the site does not replace that check.

If minors use the same computer or tablet as you, log out after each session and do not let your browser save your password.

Problem gambling rarely sets in overnight. These signs are worth stopping to think about, in yourself or in someone close to you:

• you play longer or spend more than you planned, more and more often;
• you keep playing to win back what you lost;
• you borrow money, use credit or put off bills so you can keep playing;
• you hide the time or money you spend on gambling from the people around you;
• you think about gambling at work, with family or while trying to fall asleep;
• you feel irritable or anxious when you try to cut back;
• you gamble to forget a problem, stress or loneliness;
• you have tried to stop before and could not.

One sign is enough to take stock. A game pause gives you some distance, and Gambling: Help and Referral will listen without judgment at 1 800 461-0140.

In your account, you can set the maximum amount you can deposit per day, per week or per month, in Canadian dollars. Once you reach it, no further deposit is accepted until the next period begins.

Lowering a limit takes effect immediately. Raising one only takes effect after 7 days. That delay is there on purpose, so a decision made in the heat of the moment has time to cool down.

OtoQuébec does not offer a separate tool called a “loss limit,” and we would rather say so plainly. In practice, the deposit limit does that job: you cannot lose more than you have deposited, so capping your deposits also caps what you can lose over the period you choose.

To use it as a loss limit, set it at the amount you are prepared to lose in full, not the amount you hope to grow.

The site does not automatically end a game after a set amount of time. To keep your sessions in check, you have two tools that work together: the session reminder, which tells you at regular intervals how long you have been playing, and the game pause, which blocks access for a fixed period.

A simple habit helps too: decide what time you will stop before you start, and log out when that time comes, whether you are ahead or not.

The session reminder is a reality check. Every N minutes, at the interval you choose in your account, a message shows how much time has passed since you logged in. It is a moment to ask yourself whether you are still playing for fun.

A short interval, such as 30 minutes, is more useful than one of several hours. You can change it at any time in your responsible gambling settings.

A game pause suspends your access to lotteries, casino games and sports betting for 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days or 6 weeks. You turn it on yourself, in a few clicks, from your account.

A pause cannot be lifted before the period ends, not even by asking support. That is deliberate: it has to hold firm exactly when the urge to play comes back. You can still log in to look at your history.

If a pause of a few weeks is not enough, self-exclusion blocks access to play for anywhere from 6 months to 5 years. It is not a button: write to support at support@otoquebec.com or use the form on the Contact Us page and choose the “Responsible Gambling” category.

Your request is handled by a person on our team, not by an automated system. Include the length you want and the email address on your account. Self-exclusion is also a good time to call Gambling: Help and Referral, which can point you toward ongoing support.

These services are independent of OtoQuébec. They do not deal with account questions, but they are there for you and the people close to you:

• Gambling: Help and Referral, at 1 800 461-0140: listening, information and referral to support services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free and confidential;
• Gamblers Anonymous: peer support groups hold meetings across Québec, in French and English, for people who want to stop gambling;
• Services Québec: the Government of Québec’s portal points to public health and social services, including help with addiction.

You do not need to be in crisis to call. Many people get in touch simply to ask a question about themselves or someone they care about.

A few habits that make a real difference:

• set your deposit limit on the day you open your account, with a clear head;
• do not play when you have been drinking, when you are tired or when you are upset;
• check your account’s transaction history regularly to see what you are really spending;
• keep time for other activities: gambling should never replace one;
• if you share a device, install software that blocks gambling sites, for yourself or for someone close to you.

The most common questions about limits and self-exclusion are gathered in our FAQ. For anything else, write to us from the Contact Us page.