Self-exclude from every Alberta online casino
This guide explains how to block yourself from every regulated online casino and sportsbook in Alberta with a single registration. It is written for Albertans who want to stop gambling online, and for family members trying to understand what the program can and cannot do. We walk through the AGLC sign-up, the choices you make on the form, what changes once the exclusion is active and where its reach ends. Every rule below was checked against AGLC’s published program pages and internet gaming standards rather than operator summaries.
How Alberta's centralized self-exclusion works
Alberta does not ask you to close accounts one operator at a time. The province runs a centralized self-exclusion program through Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), and every operator in the regulated market is required to integrate it into its website and app. When you enrol and select regulated iGaming, the exclusion applies automatically to all Alberta regulated iGaming platforms, the provincial PlayAlberta site included.
That design matters more than it first appears. In markets without a central register, a player who wants to stop has to find the responsible gambling page on each site, and the account they forgot is often the one they return to.
The program sits outside the operators’ control.
AGLC regulates the market and holds the register, while the Alberta iGaming Corporation handles commercial agreements with operators. Your agreement is made with AGLC, so no casino decides whether it is accepted or how long it lasts. One limit deserves attention from the start, because it shapes everything that follows: the program covers gambling inside Alberta on platforms in the regulated market, and it has no reach over sites operating outside that register.
Enrolling through the AGLC portal
The whole procedure happens online at selfexclusion.ca, and the program states it can be completed at any hour from any device that connects to the internet and can take a photo. The steps below follow the order set out on the sign-up pages and in the program FAQ.
- Step 1
Have your government photo ID ready
Your first, middle and last names and your date of birth must be entered exactly as they appear on valid government-issued photo identification. The device you use also needs a working camera, because the portal captures a photo during registration. - Step 2
Open the sign-up page at selfexclusion.ca
Start the self-exclusion sign-up on AGLC's portal. Registration must be completed online by the participant personally, and it is available at any time, so there is no office visit and no appointment to book. - Step 3
Select regulated iGaming platforms as your scope
Choose regulated iGaming, or iGaming together with casinos and racing entertainment centres. Either option excludes you from every Alberta regulated online platform; the land-based option on its own does not cover online sites. - Step 4
Pick a period you can keep
The options are six months, one year, two years or three years. Once the agreement is submitted, it cannot be modified, withdrawn or cancelled before the expiry date, so the length deserves as much thought as the scope. - Step 5
Complete the profile and play questions
The form asks for your date of birth, gender identity, phone number and email address, along with information about your gambling habits. If you currently work at an Alberta casino or racing entertainment centre, employment details are requested too. - Step 6
Submit, then deal with open bets
The exclusion takes effect on regulated platforms once processed. For any bet on a future event, contact the operator that took it to have the original wager returned. If an account still seems active, call 1-844-468-8034 or email [email protected].
What changes once you are enrolled
Self-exclusion begins as soon as the agreement is signed, and the online part takes effect across regulated platforms once AGLC has processed it. You do not need to log in to existing accounts to confirm anything. If an account still appears to work during your exclusion period, the program asks you to contact a representative at 1-844-468-8034 or [email protected].
Bets, prizes and marketing
Open wagers on future events are handled by the operator that accepted them. AGLC’s Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming require operators to refund a wager when the player enrols before the event that decides its outcome has started. While you are enrolled, you are not permitted to enter an iGaming site or to collect prizes from iGaming.
Advertising rules shift in your favour as well, because Alberta’s regulations say operator advertising must not be intentionally communicated to self-excluded individuals.
There is no early exit.
An agreement cannot be modified, withdrawn or shortened before its expiry date, whatever happens in the meantime. Participants who opt in receive follow-up contact from the program team at approximate intervals of 10, 30, 60, 90 and 175 days, depending on the length chosen, and every participant is contacted again within 30 days of the expiry date.
Self-exclusion program rules at a glance
| Rule | What AGLC states | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Six months, one, two or three years | Chosen once, at sign-up |
| Cancellation | Not possible before expiry | No shortening or withdrawal |
| Who can enrol | Only the person excluding | Family cannot sign you up |
| Online scope | All Alberta regulated iGaming platforms | No site-by-site requests |
| Land-based scope | Casinos and racing entertainment centres | Optional, selected at sign-up |
| Geography | Gambling inside Alberta only | Other provinces run separate programs |
Where the Alberta exclusion stops
The program is strong inside its boundaries and silent outside them. It covers operators in Alberta’s regulated market, which means an unregistered offshore casino that still accepts Albertans is not connected to the register and has no obligation to honour your exclusion.
Geography sets the second boundary, since AGLC states that its program applies only to gambling inside the province and an Alberta exclusion therefore does not carry over to Ontario, British Columbia or anywhere else in Canada. Anyone who gambles in more than one province would have to enrol separately in each one’s own program.
Nobody else can make this decision on your behalf.
A spouse or parent cannot enrol someone else, however good their intentions. Family members can still get support for themselves through the Alberta Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642, and the program lists community resources for them as well.
For sites outside the register, the remaining tools are practical rather than regulatory. Some banks offer gambling transaction blocks and blocking software exists for phones and computers, though availability varies and we have not verified a specific Canadian product for this guide.
Online-only or full exclusion
At sign-up you choose what the exclusion covers, and that choice is as fixed as the length. The two options below both block every regulated online platform; in each row, the winner is the option giving wider protection on that point.
Regulated iGaming only | iGaming plus casinos and racing centres |
|---|---|
| Covers every Alberta regulated online casino and sportsbook | Covers every Alberta regulated online casino and sportsbook |
| Casino and racing entertainment centre floors remain open | Gaming floors off limits; security removes excluded patrons |
| Six months to three years, no early cancellation | Six months to three years, no early cancellation |
| Operators refund bets on events not yet started | Operators refund bets on events not yet started |
Support alongside self-exclusion
Self-exclusion removes access, but it does not address why gambling became a problem in the first place. The program itself notes that self-exclusion combined with professional support is one of the most effective ways to stop gambling, and it points participants toward help that costs nothing.
Lines that answer around the clock
Recovery Alberta lists an addiction helpline at 1-866-332-2322 and a mental health helpline at 1-877-303-2642, both toll-free, confidential and available 24 hours a day. Gambling falls within the addiction line’s scope, and its team of nurses, social workers and psychologists can screen, refer and talk through options by phone. Dialling 211 also connects Albertans with mental health and addiction support, gambling included.
A call before you enrol can help.
Talking the term through with a counsellor before submitting is sensible, since the length cannot be revised afterwards. For enrolment questions or technical trouble with the portal itself, the program line at 1-844-468-8034 and the address [email protected] handle that side of things.
Related Terms
Questions about Alberta self-exclusion
Do you have to self-exclude on each Alberta casino site separately?
No. Selecting regulated iGaming at enrolment automatically excludes you from all Alberta regulated iGaming platforms, and you do not need to log in to any existing account to confirm it.
Can an Alberta self-exclusion be ended early?
AGLC states that an agreement cannot be modified, withdrawn or cancelled before its expiry date. The length you choose, from six months to three years, is fixed once submitted.
Does Alberta self-exclusion block offshore sites or other provinces?
It does not. The program applies only to gambling inside Alberta on regulated platforms, so unregistered offshore sites are not connected to it, and other provinces run separate programs.
Can a spouse or family member enrol someone else?
Only the person seeking exclusion can enrol, whatever the relationship. Family members can get support for themselves through the Alberta Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642.
What happens to a bet placed before enrolling?
Operators must refund a wager if you enrol before the event that decides it begins. Contact the operator that accepted the bet to have the original stake returned.
More about online casinos
What we check first on any self-exclusion form is whether the name matches the photo ID exactly, and AGLC’s sign-up page flags this requirement in capital letters. A mismatch is the most avoidable source of delay, so we would compare the two before opening the portal at all.