Help
Help lines and PlaySmart on the floor
Help starts on the casino floor itself, where a PlaySmart Centre has Responsible Gambling Council representatives on hand. Beyond the building, ConnexOntario and other Ontario lines answer by phone, text or chat.
Written by the Lakehead desk Checked October 13, 2026
A PlaySmart Centre on the floor
In early 2025, a PlaySmart Centre opened on the gaming floor at 50 Cumberland St. South. Representatives of the Responsible Gambling Council work there. They answer questions and hand out resources, for visitors in off the road and for people who live in the city.
PlaySmart is OLG's responsible gambling service, with PlaySmart Centres at Ontario casinos. The service has its own site at playsmart.ca. In Thunder Bay, the centre puts that program on the same floor as the slots and the E-Table Stadium. Gateway Casinos & Entertainment, which runs the casino, holds RG Check accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council.
Lines that answer at any hour
- ConnexOntario is Ontario's line for gambling, mental health and addiction, open 24/7 at no cost. Call 1-866-531-2600, text CONNEX to 247247 or chat at connexontario.ca.
- In a crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, which is open 24/7.
Taking a break from casinos
My PlayBreak, OLG's self-exclusion program for Ontario casinos, offers a casino break of 3 or 6 months, or 1 to 5 years. Once it starts, it bars entry to every Ontario casino, and it cannot be cancelled early. To enrol, call the OLG Support Centre at 1-800-387-0098 or ask staff at a casino, including the one on Cumberland St. South.
People who are self-excluded or trespassed from Gateway Casinos Thunder Bay or any Ontario gaming property may not visit. For online gambling, BetGuard at betguard.ca is run by iGaming Ontario. A person 19 or older can use it to exclude themselves from every regulated Ontario online gambling site at once, OLG.ca included. It does not cover land-based casinos.
Questions from the road
IWho works at the PlaySmart Centre on the casino floor?
The centre is staffed by representatives of the Responsible Gambling Council. They answer questions and hand out resources at the centre, which opened in early 2025.
IICan a casino break through My PlayBreak be cancelled early?
No, a casino break cannot be cancelled early. Whether it lasts 3 or 6 months or 1 to 5 years, the break bars entry to every Ontario casino until it ends.
IIIIs ConnexOntario open at night?
Yes, ConnexOntario answers 24/7 at no cost. Call 1-866-531-2600, text CONNEX to 247247 or chat at connexontario.ca.