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The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has introduced a new responsible gambling measure targeting some of its most active younger players. Since June 1, registered players under the age of 25 who deposit $500 or more in are required to set a deposit limit before they can continue gambling on OLG’s online platforms.
The policy has been welcomed by some as a step toward reducing gambling-related harm among younger adults. However, critics argue the measure does not go far enough, noting that it applies only to a subset of players and requires users to choose their own limits rather than imposing mandatory spending caps.
With over 1.3 million players cycling through OLG.ca every year, the new policy has drawn attention from both sides of the debate. Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, director of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours at McGill University, calls it a “baby step.”
“If you just read the headline, it looks nice. If you delve into its actual components, it’s really a baby step. The headlines are great,” Derevensky said. “They can argue that they’re doing something for young people under 25. But I think they have a far way to go.”
Breaking Down OLG’s New Mandatory Deposit Limit Requirement
When a registered player under the age of 25 years deposits $500 or more in a single transaction, they receive a prompt to establish a daily, weekly, or monthly deposit cap. This limit allows players to set the maximum amount they should fund into their account within a specific period.
OLG applies deposit limits on a rolling basis rather than resetting them at midnight. For example, if a player makes a $100 deposit on Friday that reaches their daily limit, the 24-hour countdown begins at the exact time of that deposit. The limit will not reset until the same time on Saturday, regardless of the calendar day.
When it comes to changing those limits, the procedure follows a different set of rules. Players who want to lower their deposit cap can do so immediately. Those looking to raise it, however, must wait seven days before the increase takes effect, a deliberate cooling-off window built into the system. Players can also make up to 10 deposits per day, between midnight and 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
OLG describes the overall framework as a pre-commitment tool. It’s one designed to help younger players define and hold their own boundaries before a session starts.
OLG Targets Its Most Active Young Players First
According to the official OLG announcement, the new measure specifically applies to the under-25 user demographic.
While the crown corporation has reiterated that it monitors all player actions and intervenes when required, this new policy seeks to provide further responsible gambling support to a group that researchers and regulators have repeatedly identified as more vulnerable to gambling-related harm compared to other player groups.
However, it’s important to note that the policy doesn’t apply to all users under 25. So, how does the OLG determine who must set the deposit limit? According to OLG Director of Media Relations Tony Bitonti, players are selected to implement the new mandatory deposit limits depending on their level of engagement.
Speaking on a call to Gambling Insider, Derevensky calls this policy a “good beginning,” but stops well short of “good PR.” He argues that prompting some players to set their own limits falls significantly short of simply imposing one on them.
“It is a good beginning, but they’re not putting the deposit limit in place; they’re asking people to set one,” said Derevensky.
“That’s a big distinction. Many jurisdictions have maximum deposit limits for how much you can deposit in a week, a month, or a year. But they’re not doing that. They’re basically saying that if a person under 25 deposits $500, they’ll send a notification about setting limits. Why are they not doing that with everyone? That’s my concern.”
Goal is to Support Healthier Play
In the press release, OLG President and CEO Duncan Hannay said that adding the deposit limit requirement is more about strengthening player choice rather than removing it. The new measure is structured as a nudge that allows this vulnerable group to pause and consider what they are comfortable spending.
“Requiring a deposit limit is not about removing choice, it’s about strengthening that choice by helping players to pause and consider what they are comfortable spending,” said Hannay.
“OLG relies on research and best practices to guide how we engage with players and respond to emerging trends. This new measure is a practical, data-driven step to help players under 25 build safer play habits early.”
That nudge, however, now carries teeth for some users. OLG’s online platform has long offered voluntary responsible gambling tools. These include spending reminders, self-imposed caps, and time-out options. But this new policy now makes deposit limits non-negotiable for players under the age of 25 who deposit $500 or more at once. The choice remains, according to OLG’s press release. What’s changed is that players can no longer skip past it.
Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho reinforced that position. He described the initiative as part of a broader push by the provincial government and its gaming industry partners to embed stronger player protections into Ontario’s online gambling market.
“Responsible gaming remains a priority for the Ontario government, and striking the right balance between individual choice and protecting vulnerable players is essential,” Cho said.
“This initiative reflects the strong collaboration between government, agencies, and industry partners to strengthen player protections and ensure Ontario’s gaming market remains safe, responsible, and trusted.”
Critics Say Mandatory Limits Should Apply To Everyone
Ontario’s current responsible gambling infrastructure establishes strict standards for player protection, anti-money laundering, and game integrity. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), for instance, requires all licensed online gambling platforms to make self-exclusion and limit-setting tools prominently available to all users in an obvious, easy-to-access way.
Combined with the advertising restrictions, the centralized self-exclusion system (BetGuard), as well as OLG’s very own My PlayBreak Program, the new mandatory deposit limits represent another thread in what the province is stitching together as a broader harm reduction strategy. On paper, it is a reasonable framework with multiple tools targeting different moments in the gambling journey across different types of players.
But critics argue that the framework has a structural problem that no single policy can fix on its own.
Ontario’s regulated online market is no longer just OLG. Since iGaming Ontario opened the market to private operators in April 2022, players have access to dozens of licensed platforms, none of which are bound by OLG’s new deposit limit requirement. The AGCO’s baseline standards apply across the board, but mandatory deposit limits for younger players do not.
That inconsistency is what troubles researchers like Derevensky most. A 23-year-old nudged to set a spending cap on OLG.ca faces no such requirement on any of the private platforms operating legally in the same province. The guardrail exists in one corner of the market. The risk exists everywhere else.
“This shouldn’t stop at OLG,” is the quiet consensus among those who study gambling harm in young people. The question is whether the province, as well as the AGCO, are listening.
