Sheet 07 · Budget and help
A trip budget and where help is
The planner below turns a sum, a time and an arrival hour into a pace and a time to leave. Help with gambling in Ontario costs nothing, and ConnexOntario answers at 1-866-531-2600 at any hour.
Drawn by the Pinewood survey desk Checked October 13, 2026
Plan the visit before the drive
Dwg 07 · Load sheet for one visit
Your numbers only · nothing is sent anywhere
Set a sum, a length of visit and the hour you walk in.
Set the limit before the drive
Decide the sum and the length of the visit before getting in the car, not at the door. Write both figures down. Bank cards can stay at home, so the cash in hand is the whole budget for the trip. Money spent on the floor is the price of the entertainment, not something to win back.
The drive back needs a plan of its own, with rest before it if the visit runs late. Cascades Casino North Bay keeps its floor open from 10 AM to 2 AM every day, so a late arrival leaves less time. Holiday hours are not published and should be checked on the casino's own site. Entry is 19+, with valid government-issued photo ID.
Where help is
- ConnexOntario takes calls at 1-866-531-2600 about problem gambling, mental health and addiction, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A text with CONNEX to 247247 or the chat at connexontario.ca reaches the same service, at no cost and in confidence.
- The staffed PlaySmart Centre at Cascades Casino North Bay is OLG's program run with the Responsible Gambling Council. Staff are there Wednesday noon to 5 PM, Friday 5 PM to 10 PM and Saturday 3 PM to 8 PM.
- The Virtual PlaySmart Centre, part of OLG's PlaySmart program, answers at 1-833-888-2306 from 11 AM to 7 PM, 7 days a week.
- My PlayBreak is OLG's self-exclusion for land-based casinos, and a break bars entry to any Ontario casino. It lasts 3 or 6 months, or 1 to 5 years, and enrolment goes through the OLG Support Centre at 1-800-387-0098, casino staff or a PlaySmart Centre coordinator.
- BetGuard, at betguard.ca, is iGaming Ontario's self-exclusion for online play. One enrolment by a person 19+ covers every regulated Ontario gambling site, OLG.ca included, for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term.
When it feels urgent
If things feel urgent, 988 is the Suicide Crisis Helpline, open 24 hours a day. ConnexOntario answers around the clock at 1-866-531-2600 for gambling, mental health and addiction. A text with the word CONNEX to 247247 reaches the same help line, and so does the chat at connexontario.ca.
Questions, answered from the record
Can a My PlayBreak be cut short?
A My PlayBreak cannot be cut short. It runs for the term chosen, 3 or 6 months or 1 to 5 years, and bars entry to any Ontario casino for that time.
Does BetGuard cover land-based casinos?
BetGuard does not cover land-based casinos. It applies to regulated Ontario gambling sites online, OLG.ca included, while My PlayBreak covers casinos such as Cascades Casino North Bay.
Is there someone to talk to at the casino?
The casino has a staffed PlaySmart Centre, run by OLG with the Responsible Gambling Council. Staff are there Wednesday noon to 5 PM, Friday 5 PM to 10 PM and Saturday 3 PM to 8 PM. Outside those hours, the Virtual PlaySmart Centre answers at 1-833-888-2306 from 11 AM to 7 PM, 7 days a week.