What is a voluntary spending limit and how is it different from a mandatory limit set by a casino?

Voluntary spending limits and mandatory limits both cap how much you can wager or deposit — but who sets them, and what happens when you want to change them, are two very different things.

Voluntary limits: you're in the driver's seat

Regulated internet gaming sites in Ontario must provide limit-setting features to players, and those features can help you manage how much time and money you spend gambling. The three core types you'll find on every licensed Ontario platform are:

• Deposit limits — the amount you select that can be deposited into your digital wallet over a defined period of time; for example, no more than $50 per month.
• Loss limits — the most you want to lose (winnings subtracted from amount spent) over a defined period; for example, no more than $25 per day.
• Time limits — the amount of time you want to spend playing over a defined period; for example, no longer than 2 hours per day.

Players must be provided with an easy and obvious way to set gaming limits — both financial and time-based — upon registration and at any time after registration. So you can set, tighten, or revisit these limits whenever you like through your account settings.

The catch when you want to loosen one: you can set limits at any time, but you are not allowed to lower or remove a limit until after a cooling-off period of at least 24 hours. That delay is deliberate — it stops an impulsive decision made mid-session from taking effect immediately. An operator also cannot relax a limit unilaterally, without instructions from the player. The limit is yours; only you can change it, and only after that pause.

Mandatory limits: the operator or regulator draws the line

Mandatory limits are ceilings that exist regardless of what you want. They're set by the operator's own risk policies, by iGaming Ontario's operating requirements, or by the AGCO's Registrar's Standards — and you don't get to negotiate them away. A common example is a maximum single-bet size or a hard cap on how much can sit in a player account. Gaming limits, however imposed, shall be enforced by the gaming system — meaning the platform itself blocks any transaction that would breach them. Players are clearly notified when a game or gaming session ends due to a gaming limit.

Another mandatory protection worth knowing: operators cannot extend credit or lend money to players, or refer players to credit providers, or imply that a player should seek additional credit to play games. That's a hard floor, not a preference.

Why the distinction matters in practice

Voluntary limits are a planning tool — you set them when you're thinking clearly, and the 24-hour cooling-off rule keeps you honest when you're not. Mandatory limits are guardrails the system enforces no matter what; no amount of account navigation removes them.

If you ever want to step back further, you can opt out of all regulated online gambling in Ontario with BetGuard — iGaming Ontario's centralized self-exclusion service at betguard.ca. And if you need to talk to someone, ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is available around the clock.

One housekeeping point: only play on sites registered with the AGCO and managed by iGaming Ontario. You can confirm a site's status through the iGaming Ontario operator registry — legitimate sites display the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo. Ontario's legal gambling age is 19+.