Responsible gambling tools are one of the most overlooked aspects of gambling online in Canada. Whether you are worried about problem gambling or just want to keep on top of your playing habits, these tools can really help.
Let’s take a look at some of these tools, particularly the setting of limits, how you can use them, and examine the state of responsible gambling tools in Canada overall.
The Most Common Responsible Gambling Tools Used at Online Casinos in Canada
As we will see in a moment, some of the best online casinos in Canada really make responsible gaming one of their selling points, while others are far less transparent on the matter, and might just point you in the direction of organizations like Gamblers Anonymous.
Whether or not you think you’ll even use responsible gambling tools, it’s always a good idea to play at a casino that has them. Better safe than sorry, perhaps? While there are multiple options available to players in Canada, the most common tools include:
Setting limits
The focus of this discussion is on the ability to set limits on your casino account, whether that’s a limit on how much you can deposit on any given day, week or month, or even a limit on how much you can bet at a time. Some casinos even go so far as to allow you to set a time limit on your gaming sessions.
Cooling-off periods
A more significant tool, a cooling-off period is when you request that the casino temporarily close your account and prevent access to it, until such time as you are ready to come back and play.
Self-exclusion
This is one of the most drastic things you can do in the name of preventing problematic gambling. If you self-exclude yourself from your preferred gaming platform, you will be permanently locked out and unable to play at all. Drastic as it may seem, it is a very useful tool for those for whom gambling is getting out of hand.
What is the Current State of Responsible Gambling Tools?
Right now, the Canadian gambling market is extremely fragmented. With no national legislation, provinces are left in control of online gambling and what safety measures they offer to players.
Through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario, Ontario is the only province so far to create a regulated online gambling market for private-sector operators. These agencies have strict responsible gambling rules in place with guidelines for casinos to follow.
But as for the rest of Canada, the choice whether they offer ways for players to gamble more safely is left up to the individual provinces to decide.
Should online casinos allow players to set limits during sign-up?
Part of the reason responsible gambling tools are not available everywhere in Canada is because there is industry debate around whether they are necessary. The biggest bone of contention is whether online casinos should be required to prompt players to set deposit limits and other responsible gambling measures as a part of their registration processes.
The argument for allowing players to set limits during the casino sign-up process is that prevention is the best way to fight problem gambling. If players set gambling limits online from the get-go, they are less likely to become problem gamblers in the future.
Many iGaming operators say that pushing limits front and centre as a part of the sign-up process puts a bad light on the casino industry, and that it can even deter new players from registering online accounts.
Both sides have merit, but it’s hard to argue against letting players know about the problem gambling prevention tools available to them as early as possible. Yes, some players might be scared off by them, but that’s not a big cost compared to the effects of problem gambling that could be avoided by these tools.
The Industry Benefits of Enhanced Responsible Gambling Tools
As I mentioned, some online casinos are against promoting their responsible gambling tools to players. Many worry that raising attention to the potential of problem gambling will scare away business and give a bad impression to people outside the gambling industry.
There might be some truth to what these casinos are saying, but I think an important part of the conversation has been ignored. Many people tend to have a bad impression of online gambling because all they recognize are the potential risks.
In my opinion, if all Canadian online casinos took responsible gambling seriously and promoted tools to practice safer play, the industry would look more favourable to the average person.
Think about it, would you rather gamble at a site that has multiple responsible gambling tools or at a casino that appears to be hiding these tools from you? I know that I personally would trust the first site more than the second. Showing that casinos take the risk of problem gambling seriously would also be a good way to combat arguments by anti-casino advocates, who tend to have a big influence on local lawmakers.
The final word
If the online casino industry is going to thrive, it needs to embrace responsible gambling and work with lawmakers for the benefit of players, instead of ignoring them and hurting their own image in the process.
