Rules
Casino entry age across Canada: 18 in three provinces, 19 elsewhere
Updated · hotel facts as of
Ottawa does not set a casino age; the provinces do, and they split. AB, MB and QC open the doors at 18. ON, BC and NB — and most of the others — hold out for 19. Every province applies it on the gaming floor; some resorts extend it to bars, stages or the whole building. The table and notes below are what the desk checks before booking.
| Province | Gaming age | Free helpline | Self-exclusion scheme | Watchdog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 19+ | ConnexOntario — call 1-866-531-2600 at any hour, or send CONNEX by text to 247247 | My PlayBreak, run by OLG: you choose between three months and five years, valid at every casino in Ontario | AGCO (Ontario's alcohol and gaming watchdog) |
| Québec | 18+ | Jeu : aide et référence (Gambling: Help and Referral) — phone 1-800-461-0140, free at any hour | Loto-Québec's programme: three months to five years, and once signed it cannot be cancelled | RACJ, Québec's board for alcohol, racing and games |
| British Columbia | 19+ | Gambling Support BC — phone 1-888-795-6111, no charge, every hour of the week | Game Break from BCLC, for any length between six months and three years | IGCO, B.C.'s independent gambling office |
| Alberta | 18+ | AHS Addiction Helpline — phone 1-866-332-2322, staffed around the clock | AGLC's scheme, six months up to three years, covering all Alberta casinos and PlayAlberta.ca | AGLC, the Alberta gaming, liquor and cannabis agency |
| Manitoba | 18+ | Manitoba's Gambling Helpline — phone 1-800-463-1554, open all day and all night | Pick any of Casinos of Winnipeg, Shark Club or PlayNow.com for a voluntary ban | LGCA, Manitoba's liquor-gaming-cannabis authority |
| New Brunswick | 19+ | Gambling Information Line — phone 1-800-461-1234, confidential and free, TTY on request | A voluntary ban arranged through Great Canadian Entertainment | NB Justice and Public Safety, through its Gaming Control Branch |
The ID to carry
Bring government-issued photo ID wherever you go. B.C. is the strictest: from June 2023 its casinos have checked every visitor's card at the door against a list of people barred from entry. In Québec, anyone who seems under 25 can be asked for ID. A few add a second check: at Great Blue Heron in Ontario you show two photo IDs, one of them an original government card that is still valid.
Where the hotel sets its own age line
- Hard Rock Ottawa applies 19+ to everything, keys and kitchens too.
- At Casino New Brunswick, as at Great Canadian Toronto, the booking needs a 19-year-old name on it; younger guests sleep there but keep out of adult zones.
- River Rock: you cannot check in under 19.
- River Cree opened all its non-gaming spaces to accompanied minors on 29 July 2024.
- Fallsview: children welcome around the resort; strollers and babes in arms stopped at the casino entrance.
Barring yourself
Ask, and any province will keep you out of its casinos for a stretch you pick; certain of those bans run their full course no matter what. If you are weighing it up, the helplines in the table cost nothing to call and nobody else hears about it.