Responsible gambling at PowerUp — the full walk-through

Our 7 self-control levers

Every lever below lives in Account → Responsible Gambling inside your PowerUp profile. You reach it from the top-right avatar on any page. Reductions apply on the spot; increases carry our mandatory 24-hour cool-off, deliberately, to keep impulsive bumps out of the picture.

1. Deposit limit

Cap the amount you can deposit per day, per week or per month, in C$. When you hit the cap, our cashier stops accepting further deposits until the next window rolls over. You can stack layers — for example C$50 daily plus C$200 weekly. This is the single most useful lever for most players and the one we recommend switching on from day one.

2. Loss limit

Cap net losses per period, again in C$. Once your net losses touch the cap (regardless of how much you've deposited), we block new bets until the period resets. Useful for shutting down snowball scenarios where deposits pile up chasing a bad streak.

3. Wager limit

A session-based cap on total stakes across spins and hands. Handy if you want an upper ceiling on volume regardless of where the win/loss line sits at that moment. High-volatility play especially benefits from a wager cap tied to bankroll percentage.

4. Session time limit

Pick a maximum session length — 30, 60 or 90 minutes — and we auto-log you out when it expires. Stops "one more spin" spirals on slots where hours evaporate. You can extend later, but only after the 24-hour cool-off on increases.

5. Reality check alerts

Every 30 or 60 minutes we surface a pop-up summary — total time played, total staked, net position (win or loss). Keeps you honest about where you actually sit in a session. Switched on by default for new PowerUp accounts; you can turn them off if you want, but we recommend keeping them at 30-minute intervals.

6. Temporary pause (cooling-off)

Locks you out of PowerUp for a chosen window between 24 hours and 6 weeks. Your balance is preserved and you can withdraw before the pause activates. Marketing emails also pause for the duration. Right for "not tonight" moments or a week off after a rough streak.

7. Permanent self-exclusion

The strongest lever we offer. Pick a term from 6 months to lifetime and PowerUp becomes inaccessible for that period. Cannot be lifted before the term ends — not even through our support team. That's intentional: hard barrier by design. Pair with a provincial VSE registry (iGO / BCLC / Loto-Québec) for CA-wide coverage beyond PowerUp.

Cooling-off vs self-exclusion — the difference

Both lock you out of PowerUp, but they exist for different situations. Understanding which to pick avoids either over-committing or under-committing to a break.

• Temporary pause (cooling-off) — 24 hours to 6 weeks. Reversible in the sense that it auto-lifts at term end. Right for "not tonight" moments, a weekend off, or a short reset after a rough streak. Marketing emails also pause for the duration.
• Permanent self-exclusion — 6 months to lifetime. Cannot be lifted early, not even through our support. Right for confirmed dependency, ongoing treatment, or a definitive call. The lifetime option retains your data specifically to block re-registration under a different email or payment method.

Clinical view: if you're on the fence about which to pick, start with a 6-week pause while you talk to a professional — ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is a good first call. Permanent closure is a decision that shouldn't be made mid-tilt.

Warning signs of problem gambling

If more than a couple of the statements below feel true for you at PowerUp (or at any other site), that's an early indicator gambling may be starting to bleed into the rest of life:

• You raise PowerUp bet sizes to recoup earlier losses — "chasing"
• You play longer than you originally planned, session after session
• You hide your PowerUp play, deposits or losses from family or partner
• You borrow money — from family, friends, credit cards, payday loans — to keep playing
• You neglect work, school, sleep or relationships to make time for PowerUp
• You feel anxious, irritable or restless when you can't play
• You misrepresent the amount of time or money you've spent gambling

Any single item on its own doesn't mean problem gambling; the pattern of several stacking up does. If you're not sure, ring ConnexOntario on 1-866-531-2600 — the first conversation is exploratory with no obligation to commit to treatment.

Where to get free professional help in Canada

Canada funds a network of free treatment routes for problem gambling. Most run through the provincial health system on a referral basis — either through your GP or directly through the helplines above. Nothing on this list is behind a paywall.

• Responsible Gambling Council (RGCO) — responsiblegambling.org. National charity funding research, prevention programmes and treatment referrals. Their Safer Play tools are widely quoted.
• Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario (PGIO) — problemgambling.ca. Ontario-based clinics in Toronto, Mississauga, London, Ottawa and Sudbury. Free treatment on referral.
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) — ccsa.ca. National research and policy body; a good starting point for statistics and evidence-based treatment guidance.
• Gamblers Anonymous Canada — gamblersanonymous.org. 12-step peer-support meetings across Canada, in person and online. Free, anonymous, no referral required.
• YWCA gambling support programmes — chapters in several provinces run free counselling with a specific focus on women and gender-diverse players affected by gambling harm.
• Provincial addiction services — Ontario (PGIO clinics), BC (Vancouver Coastal Health + Fraser Health referral), Alberta (AHS Addiction Services in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer), Quebec (CIUSSS regional centres). All free through the provincial health system.

Support for family and friends of problem gamblers

Problem gambling doesn't only hit the player — partners, kids, parents and close friends often carry the emotional and financial weight alongside. Canada runs dedicated resources for people in that position:

• Gam-Anon groups — sister organisation to Gamblers Anonymous, for family and friends of problem gamblers. Meetings run in most major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa) plus online. Free and anonymous.
• Provincial family counselling — every provincial helpline listed above (ConnexOntario, BC Problem Gambling Line, AHS Addiction, Loto-Québec's Jeu: aide et reference etc.) supports family members and can refer them to local counselling free of charge.
• PGIO family programme (Ontario) — problemgambling.ca runs a specific track for family members, including a session series on setting financial boundaries and rebuilding trust after disclosure.
• Kids Help Phone — 1-800-668-6868. Free, 24/7 counselling for young people (under 20) affected by a family member's gambling. Confidential, no parental consent required.
• Financial counselling — Credit Counselling Canada (creditcounsellingcanada.ca) offers free guidance on managing debt caused by problem gambling. Nonprofit, no upfront cost.