Ontario launches BetGuard unified self-exclusion tool
Table of contents
- iGaming Ontario has launched BetGuard, a centralized self-exclusion platform covering all regulated iGaming sites in the province through a single portal.
- Players aged 19 and older can register in a few minutes and choose exclusion periods of six months, one year, five years, or a custom term.
- Ontario says BetGuard is the first centralized self-exclusion tool of its kind in Canada.
iGaming Ontario (iGO) has officially launched BetGuard, a centralized self-exclusion platform that allows players to opt out of all regulated iGaming sites in Ontario through a single portal.
The tool went live on May 14, and the province says it is the first of its kind in Canada.
How BetGuard works
Players aged 19 and older can register at BetGuard.ca without needing an existing account with any operator. Once registered, they are blocked from accessing existing gambling accounts, creating new ones, and receiving direct marketing from any regulated iGaming site in Ontario.
Exclusion periods of six months, one year, five years, or a custom term are available.
Operators use real-time API checks to verify whether a user has registered with BetGuard, then block logins and marketing accordingly. Per iGaming Ontario’s launch announcement, player information provided to BetGuard remains with BetGuard and is not passed to operators.
The platform is available in English and French, and offers a dedicated customer care line alongside direct connections to ConnexOntario, the province’s 24/7 mental health and addictions helpline.
Joseph Hillier, President and CEO of iGaming Ontario, said:
“BetGuard is designed with one simple principle in mind: if you need take a break from the entire regulated igaming market, you can. Player choice is key to the sustainability of our market, and that includes the choice to opt out.”
iGaming Ontario developed BetGuard over more than a year alongside DataWorks Group (formerly IXUP), Integrity Compliance 360, and Ontario-regulated operators. The tool is modelled after Australia’s BetStop program.
Industry and government response
Stan Cho, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, said:
“The Ontario government is committed to responsible gambling. As online gaming continues to grow in popularity, the launch of BetGuard is an important step forward in helping people play safely and responsibly across more than 75 regulated sites. Strong regulation, paired with tools like BetGuard, ensures Ontario’s iGaming sector continues to put player health and safety first.”
Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, said:
“It has been something the industry has been long looking and waiting for, and we are grateful, because this really delivers on the promise of regulated gaming. This is a real demonstration of what that means in terms of consumer protection.”
Sarah McCarthy, CEO of the Responsible Gambling Council, described centralized self-exclusion as one of the most effective tools available for gambling harm prevention, calling BetGuard a meaningful step forward reflecting cross-sector collaboration.
The launch follows growing demand for consolidated support. Nerin Kaur, Executive Director of ConnexOntario, noted during a media briefing that some individuals contacting the helpline are active on 10 different gambling apps and require coaching to self-exclude from each platform separately.
Kaur said:
“Having BetGuard allows our team to educate the individual and help them through the process. And the individual will only have to self-exclude one time, so the amount of willpower it takes for the individual decreases, and it’s a much better process in terms of help-seeking behaviour or recovery.”
Market context
The province’s regulated market generated CA$262 million in revenue in 2024-25, reinvested back into the province. The government has also committed over CA$421 million since 2018 to gambling-related public education, awareness programs, and responsible gaming support.
Ontario’s market covers more than 75 regulated iGaming sites. Individual operators retain their own site-specific self-exclusion obligations alongside BetGuard and are required to promote the tool on their platforms.
Alberta’s regulated iGaming market is scheduled to open on July 13, and the province has indicated a centralized self-exclusion system will be in place from day one. The Alberta regulatory framework lists integration with a centralized self-exclusion tool as a mandatory requirement for all operators at launch.
Hillier confirmed that iGaming Ontario intends to extend BetGuard beyond online platforms to cover land-based casinos, charitable gaming, and horse racing in time, noting legal and technical complexity around horse racing as a federally regulated activity.
For operators across North America, BetGuard sets a concrete benchmark for what centralized player protection looks like in a competitive open market, one regulators in other jurisdictions are likely to reference as they consider their own frameworks.
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