When to Stop and Where to Turn
This page covers what to do when gambling stops feeling like a night out. It lists the free provincial help line, explains how self-exclusion works at B.C. casinos, and names a few signs worth noticing. It applies in Surrey, and anywhere else in the province.
One free call, any hour
Gambling Support BC answers at 1-888-795-6111. The call is free and confidential, and the line is open 24/7. You do not need to have hit some kind of bottom to pick up the phone. A vague feeling that things are slipping is reason enough.
Family and friends can call too. Maybe it is a partner in Fleetwood, a parent in Newton or a roommate down the hall in Whalley. The same number is there for you, and asking for advice about someone else is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.
Game Break: closing the door yourself
Game Break is BCLC's voluntary self-exclusion program. You enrol in person at any casino, community gaming centre or commercial bingo hall, bringing government-issued photo ID. A GameSense Advisor or a staff member walks you through it and takes your photo. For most of Surrey, Elements in Cloverdale is the casino closest to home, but any one in the province will do.
Since June 26, 2023, everyone entering a B.C. casino has to show government-issued photo ID. Security scans it and checks it against the list of people restricted from entering, which includes those enrolled in Game Break. For people who are let in, the system does not save personal information. That scan at the door is what gives the program its teeth.
Signs worth taking seriously
- Spending more than you planned, more often than not, and quietly topping up the budget on the spot.
- Chasing losses: going back to win back what is gone, rather than stopping where you are.
- Hiding play from the people close to you, or trimming the story when someone asks about the weekend.
- Borrowing to gamble, whether from a credit card, a friend or money meant for rent and groceries.
- Restlessness or irritability on days without play, as if something is missing. Any one of these is a fair reason to call 1-888-795-6111.