Responsible Gaming and Visitor Safety Rules Across Canada

Keeping Minors Safe and Clear of the Floor

Casino hotels separate resort amenities from gaming areas, though layouts vary by property.

Minors are not permitted on the gaming floor. Resort layouts vary across the country. In many properties, family facilities such as hotel towers, restaurants, performance halls, and pools are separate from gaming areas. Before booking a stay, we review what minors can and cannot do at individual resorts to ensure smooth transitions between hotel lobbies, dining rooms, and theatre spaces.

Provincial Entry Ages and Regulations

The legal age to step onto a gaming floor or enter gaming-adjacent lounges depends on the province where the resort operates. Security personnel evaluate age at venue entrances and routinely ask for valid, government-issued photo identification from anyone who appears youthful.

• Ontario (19+): Regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) with gaming conducted by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). Entry to casino floors requires patrons to be 19 years of age or older. Security checks ID on guests appearing under 30, and those 21 or younger must show two forms of identification.
• British Columbia (19+): Regulated by the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) with commercial gaming managed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). Entry age is 19. British Columbia enforces universal identification scanning at venue doors against a restricted-entry database.
• Alberta (18+): Regulated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC). The legal entry age is 18. Challenge-based ID checks apply to anyone who appears under 25.
• Québec (18+): Gaming operations at properties such as Hilton Lac-Leamy are conducted by the Société des casinos du Québec, a subsidiary of Loto-Québec. The casino entry age is 18, and people who appear under 25 may be asked for government-issued photo ID.

Provincial Helplines and Support Resources

If you or someone in your family needs confidential guidance, information, or support regarding gambling habits, free professional help lines operate 24 hours a day across every province:

• Ontario: ConnexOntario provides 24/7 confidential support at 1-866-531-2600 or by texting 'CONNEX' to 247247.
• British Columbia: Gambling Support BC offers free, confidential 24/7 support in multiple languages at 1-888-795-6111.
• Alberta: Alberta Health Services operates a 24/7 Primary Care Addiction and Mental Health Help Line at 1-866-332-2322. The AGLC GameSense Info Line is reachable at 1-833-447-7523.
• Québec: Gambling : Help and Referral (Jeu : Aide et référence) provides 24/7 confidential assistance at 1-800-461-0140.

Self-Exclusion Programmes

Each provincial regulator maintains formal self-exclusion programmes that permit individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from entering gaming properties or participating in provincial gambling activities for set timeframes.

In Ontario, the OLG operates My PlayBreak, offering voluntary exclusion terms ranging from 3 months up to 5 years across all provincial casinos. In British Columbia, BCLC provides the Game Break programme with terms from 6 months to 3 years, backed by venue entrance photo identification checks. Alberta's AGLC Self-Exclusion Program allows participants to register online via selfexclusion.ca for periods of 6 months to 3 years. In Québec, Loto-Québec offers self-exclusion options from 3 months to 5 years, supported by biometric facial recognition systems at casino entrances.

For further breakdown of regional authorities and property details, consult our directory by province or view the family ranking to evaluate properties based purely on non-gaming facilities.