Jeu : aide et référence: Quebec's gambling help line, explained

Jeu : aide et référence is the number printed on the back of lottery tickets, on slot machines and on the video lottery terminals in bars. Plenty of people know it by sight without knowing what actually happens when you dial 1-800-461-0140. This guide explains it: who answers, what the counsellor does, help for family, the TéléCounseling program, free treatment and how the line connects with Loto-Québec's self-exclusion. Everything comes from official pages from the service, the Government of Quebec and Loto-Québec, checked on 7 November 2026.

If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 911. If you are thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8.

The basics

• Montreal and area: 514-527-0140
• Rest of Quebec: 1-800-461-0140, toll-free
• Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Cost: free
• Languages: French and English
• Website: aidejeu.ca

On its resources page, the Government of Quebec sums the service up this way: its services are "bilingual, confidential, anonymous and free." You can call for yourself or for someone else, and you do not need to be in crisis.

Who runs the line

According to its about page, the service began on November 15, 1993, the fall Quebec opened its first casino. It is managed by the Centre de référence du Grand Montréal, the organisation that also runs 211 in the Montreal area, and it is funded by the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.

That matters to a lot of callers: the line is not a Loto-Québec service. Loto-Québec prints the number on its products and can offer a call to a player who self-excludes, but the people who answer work for the Centre. The team is about a dozen people, mostly with bachelor's degrees in psychology, criminology or social work.

What happens when you call

The service describes the counsellor's role in four steps:

1. Identify your needs. You are asked what brings you: a loss that worries you, debt, an argument at home, or just a doubt.
2. Assess possible solutions. Depending on your situation, that can range from a limit tool to a treatment program.
3. Suggest actions. For example, setting deposit limits, taking a break, talking to someone close or asking for self-exclusion.
4. Refer you to the right resource. An addiction rehabilitation centre, TéléCounseling, financial help, a peer support group or something else.

The service says it aims to encourage people to reflect on their gambling habits. In plain terms, the counsellor will not lecture you or push you into anything. You decide what happens next.

The phone is not the only channel. According to the Centre's 2024-2025 annual report, 75% of requests came by phone, 17% by chat and 8% by email.

Help for family and friends

People often assume the line is only for gamblers. It is not. In 2024-2025, out of 7,908 responses, gamblers made up 81% of requests, parents 7%, third parties 6% and partners 4%. In other words, about one request in six came from someone close to a player.

If you are worried about someone, a call can help you recognise the signs, plan a conversation and protect your own finances. The site also has a section on support for family members.

The TéléCounseling program

TéléCounseling is a short treatment program for problem gamblers delivered by phone. It is free therapy given entirely by phone or video call.

• Assessment: one meeting of an hour and a half.
• Sessions: one-hour meetings with a counsellor, built around six themes: motivation, finances, mistaken beliefs, triggers, relapse prevention and keeping your gains.
• Follow-up: four meetings at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the program ends.
• Materials: a participant workbook and a daily journal.
• Requirements: no medical referral is needed.
• Sign-up: at 1-800-461-0140.

The service presents it as a good fit for people who prefer the phone, want to act early, have trouble travelling or are hesitant to seek help in the health system. In 2024-2025 the program recruited 332 people, up 16%, and 62% of the games named by assessed participants were played online.

In-person treatment is free

TéléCounseling is not the only route. According to Québec.ca, you can contact the health institution for your area (your CISSS or CIUSSS) to speak with a professional free of charge and in confidence. That professional assesses your needs and directs you to the right resource, such as an addiction rehabilitation centre.

Two other ways in:

• Info-Social 811: free, confidential phone consultation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with psychosocial professionals.
• The ministry's directory of addiction resources, which lists public services and certified community or private resources.

Jeu : aide et référence also keeps a map of addiction rehabilitation centres on its site.

How it connects with Loto-Québec self-exclusion

Loto-Québec's document on its responsible commercialization actions describes how the two fit together:

• A player can ask for self-exclusion from casinos and gaming halls for a period of their choice. They commit to staying away, and their online account is blocked for the same period.
• Online, a self-exclusion program blocks access to the account for the chosen period.
• In both cases, the player can be offered a call from a Jeu : aide et référence counsellor.
• Loto-Québec sends no communications, including Casino Privilèges club messages, during self-exclusion and for a year after it ends.

The Centre sees the result: in 2024-2025 it made 834 follow-ups with self-excluded people. The exclusions came 66% from online play, 28% from casinos and 6% from gaming halls.

One important limit: Loto-Québec's self-exclusion does not block private sites. Our comparison of Loto-Québec and offshore casinos explains why. The help line, on the other hand, helps you wherever you play.

If you mostly play online

Online play takes a large share of calls, and the same Loto-Québec document describes several tools for its gaming site:

• voluntary breaks of 1 to 89 days;
• online self-exclusion, for the period of your choice;
• the option to ask Loto-Québec to stop you from opening an account;
• a customer service team reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a player in distress.

These tools only apply to Loto-Québec. On a private site, you need to turn on that site's own limits, and blocking software installed on your phone and computer covers every site at once. A Jeu : aide et référence counsellor can help you pick the combination that suits you, and rework the plan if a first attempt does not hold. You can call back as often as you need.

Signs to watch for

The Québec.ca page on gambling disorder gives these examples:

• thinking about gambling all the time;
• betting larger and larger amounts to feel the same excitement;
• finding it hard to stop, cut down or set limits;
• feeling restless or irritable when trying to stop;
• gambling to escape problems or ease anxiety;
• continuing to play to win back losses;
• lying to people close to you about how big a part gambling plays;
• committing illegal acts to fund gambling.

The same page lists consequences such as putting your studies, job or relationships at risk, and relying on others to get out of money trouble. If several of these sound familiar, now is a good time to call.

What the 2024-2025 figures show

The annual report covers April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025:

Among games named (3,568 responses), cyberaddiction came first at 19%, followed by online slots (17%) and in-person video lottery terminals (15%). Draw lottery tickets accounted for 10%, in-person slots for 8% and online sports and racing bets for 4%. Online play takes a large share, but bar terminals remain a major source of calls.

Where you will see the number

Loto-Québec displays the line on its online gaming site, on the back of scratch and draw tickets, on many slot machines, on both sides of sports betting kiosks, on video lottery terminals and on bingo and Kinzo materials. Casinos and gaming halls also list it in their responsible gambling sections.

Before you call: a few useful steps

You do not need to prepare anything. But to get the most from the call:

• jot down roughly what you spent in the last month;
• say which games you play and where, in person or online;
• mention any debts, loans or credit cards involved;
• ask what exists near you, or remotely.

In the meantime, the basic tools help right away: deposit limits, a cooling-off period and self-exclusion. Our responsible gambling page sums them up, and our guide on whether online gambling is legal in Quebec explains the difference between Loto-Québec and private sites.

In an emergency

Jeu : aide et référence is not an emergency service. If a life is in danger, call 911. For suicidal thoughts, the 9-8-8 line answers by call or text, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Sources

Official pages checked on 7 November 2026.

• Jeu : aide et référence, home page
• Jeu : aide et référence, about us
• Jeu : aide et référence, TéléCounseling
• Centre de référence du Grand Montréal, 2024-2025 annual report (PDF)
• Québec.ca, alcohol, drugs and gambling: resources
• Québec.ca, recognising a gambling disorder
• Québec.ca, Info-Social 811
• MSSS, directory of addiction resources
• Loto-Québec, responsible commercialization actions (PDF, French)
• 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline