888 Casino Self-Exclusion

888 keeps its safer gambling tools in one place called the Control Centre. Once you are logged in, it is behind the shield icon in the site header. Three kinds of limit live there: a deposit limit (how much you can add), a loss limit (how much you can lose) and a playing-time limit (how long you can stay logged in to the account). Each one can be daily, weekly or monthly, and you can set them at any time.

The rule worth remembering is about direction. Lowering a limit applies at once. Raising one waits 24 hours. That is deliberate: Ontario's regulator expects a cooling-off of at least a day before a limit is made less strict, so a rushed decision late in the evening cannot undo a calm plan made earlier. If you set more than one limit, the most restrictive one always wins.

Not sure which numbers to pick? Enter the monthly amount you are happy to treat as entertainment spending, how often you play and how long a session lasts. The planner suggests a daily, weekly and monthly deposit limit and a daily playing-time limit. You still type the final figures into the Control Centre yourself.

Small amounts work fine. The cashier minimum is C$10 on every method, so a daily limit can sit right at that level; the C$10 deposit guide shows what that amount covers. One honest caveat: limits set on the website apply to your account on that site only, and 888's policy page does not publish wager limits or reality-check reminders. The playing-time limit, plus a timer on your phone, covers most of that ground.

Take a Break is for the moment when you want distance but not a permanent decision. You ask for it through the Control Centre and pick one of five lengths: 1 day, 7 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. When the time is up, the account reopens by itself, with nothing to request.

• Short breaks: a day or a week suits a frustrating session, a busy stretch at work or simply a wish to reset.

• Longer breaks: one, two or three months give you real time to see how the habit feels without the account in your pocket.

• Automatic return: the account is switched back on at the end of the break, so check your limits before you log in again.

• No side doors: a new account opened during a break may be suspended or cancelled, so treat the break as the whole plan.

Long, feature-heavy slots such as Bonanza Megaways can stretch a session further than you meant, and that is exactly the situation a playing-time limit is built for.

Self-exclusion is the stronger step. It is longer than a break and it is not something you can reverse in a moment. In Ontario there are two routes, and knowing the difference saves confusion later.

• 888's own exclusion

  Choose 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a lifetime. You are logged out immediately, open bets are cancelled, unused cashable funds are returned on request and marketing is switched off. It covers the sites 888 runs under its AGCO registration: 888 Casino, 888 Poker and 888 Sport.

• BetGuard

  Choose 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term of up to 5 years. It blocks existing and new accounts at every regulated Ontario online gambling site at once, and stops marketing from all of them, OLG's included. No 888 account is needed to enrol.

How the two fit together

BetGuard is the centralised self-exclusion programme launched by iGaming Ontario, an agency of the Government of Ontario, in May 2026. The regulator expects licensed operators to take part. It is separate from 888's own exclusion: neither one switches the other on, the terms can differ, and ending one does not end the other. To end a BetGuard term you contact BetGuard, not 888. To come back after 888's own exclusion, you contact support by live chat and a one-day cooling-off follows.

To enrol in BetGuard you need to be 19 or older, hold valid government photo ID, have a permanent Canadian or US address, and have a cellphone and an email address. The sign-up takes under five minutes and includes a face-match ID check. Once you are in, the term cannot be shortened, although you can extend it at any time. Because BetGuard also covers OLG's regulated online sites, it is the one to pick if lottery tickets bought online are part of the picture too; the lotteries guide explains how those products differ from a casino.

How to close your account

Closing an account is a separate request from self-exclusion, and it goes through a form rather than the Control Centre. Use the Contact Us form in the 888 help centre and give it the details below.

• Subject line.

  Write "Account closure request" so the message reaches the right team.

• Name and email.

  The same details as on your account, so 888 can match the request.

• Home address.

  Include the city and the postal code.

• A short reason.

  One honest line is enough; nobody needs a long explanation.

Closure takes up to 48 hours, and 888 confirms it by email. It is sensible to withdraw any balance first (the minimum withdrawal is C$5). If your real goal is to stay away rather than just tidy up, self-exclusion or BetGuard are the tools designed for that, because they actively block you from coming back before the term ends.

1. 1

   Decide your numbers. Use the planner above to turn a monthly budget into daily and weekly figures.

2. 2

   Log in. Open 888casino.ca or the app. Play is for adults of 19+ who are physically in Ontario.

3. 3

   Find the shield icon. It sits in the site header and opens the Control Centre, which also holds your activity information and help links.

4. 4

   Pick a limit and a period. Choose deposit, loss or playing time, then daily, weekly or monthly, and enter your figure.

5. 5

   Add a break if you want one. Choose 1 day, 7 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months from the same place.

6. 6

   Want something longer? Read the self-exclusion section above, then ask live chat about 888's own exclusion or enrol at BetGuard.

A good habit is to review your limits once a month. Ready to log in? Open 888 Casino and the Control Centre is waiting under the shield icon.

What players say about the tools

Players who use the Control Centre tend to describe the same thing: it feels like a normal part of a well-run casino rather than a punishment. Setting a monthly deposit limit before the first spin is often called the single most useful thing they did, because the decision is made while calm and the casino then enforces it for them.

The 24-hour wait on raising a limit gets plenty of praise as well. People say it takes the sting out of a bad evening, since the urge to top up has a full day to fade.

You do not need to be in crisis to ask for support. If gambling is taking more time or money than you intended, these services are there for exactly that.

ConnexOntario is open 24/7 and is free. Its pages and the other official sources below are good places to continue:

• BetGuard, the iGaming Ontario self-exclusion programme.
• ConnexOntario, support for gambling, drug and mental health problems.
• Responsible Gambling Council, research and guidance.
• PlaySmart, tools and tips from the RGC.
• AGCO safer gambling, the regulator's hub for Ontario players.