iGaming Ontario Expands BetGuard Outreach Across Ontario Campuses

Campus tour doubles its reach

The RGC’s Post-Secondary Campus Tour is designed to bring gambling prevention discussions directly to students. Representatives visit campuses to answer questions, discuss potential gambling-related risks and provide information about available support resources.

With iGaming Ontario joining the initiative, the programme has been expanded from 20 to 40 publicly funded campuses. The increased reach gives the organisations more opportunities to introduce students to BetGuard and explain how the self-exclusion system works.

The programme forms part of iGaming Ontario’s wider approach to responsible gambling, which includes education about gambling risks and information about where players can find assistance when needed.

Joseph Hillier, President and CEO of iGaming Ontario, said the organisation was pleased to work with the RGC on bringing gambling education to more post-secondary campuses.

BetGuard introduced to students

BetGuard is positioned as a single self-exclusion option covering regulated online gambling in Ontario. The service gives residents a way to take a break from regulated online gambling platforms.

The campus programme provides an opportunity to explain the tool directly to students rather than relying solely on online information. Alongside BetGuard, the RGC will discuss prevention and harm-reduction resources during its campus visits.

The initiative also includes interactive elements intended to encourage student participation. One of these is the Random Tower, a life-sized Jenga-style activity featuring messages focused on gambling harm reduction.

The activity gives students another way to engage with the subject while learning about responsible gambling and available support.

Responsible gambling education remains central

The partnership reflects a broader focus on prevention and awareness rather than limiting the programme to information about self-exclusion. The RGC has been delivering gambling prevention and awareness initiatives in Ontario and internationally for more than four decades.

Its work includes prevention education, research, standards development and the RG Check accreditation programme. The organisation works with players, communities, industry participants and regulators on reducing gambling-related risks.

For iGaming Ontario, the campus tour adds a direct educational component to its responsible gaming activities. The organisation operates as an Ontario Crown agency and supports the province’s regulated online gaming market.

The expansion to 40 campuses gives the programme a wider provincial footprint during the 2026-27 academic year.

Partnership expands student engagement

The RGC’s campus programme will combine conversations about gambling with practical information about support services, including BetGuard. Students will also have opportunities to interact with the Random Tower and discuss harm-reduction messages presented through the activity.

iGaming Ontario said the expanded tour could generate up to 10,000 student interactions. The organisation described the partnership as part of its comprehensive responsible gaming approach, which also includes education about risks and information about support.

The initiative therefore brings BetGuard and responsible gambling resources directly into post-secondary settings across Ontario, while extending the RGC’s existing campus programme to twice as many publicly funded institutions.