Find out how to play responsibly, and how we are committed to providing an enjoyable, responsible and positive experience for our players.

At PokerStars we strive to assist and protect players who are at risk of the potential negative effects of gambling.

Through a number of means, including the option to exclude yourself from playing, guidance on responsible gaming, risk identification and player verification we are helping customers keep in control of their gaming so they can enjoy playing.

We believe in educating our players to empower them through knowledge, which is why we have a number of helpful tools to ensure that playing time is always enjoyable.

What we can do to help you

• Age verification
• Self-exclusion

What you can do to help yourself

• Setting limits
• Need help, advice or counselling

What we can do to help you

Age verification

Any underage player who has provided dishonest or inaccurate information regarding their true age may have all chips forfeited and could face criminal prosecution.

• Every person signing up for a new account must check a box that indicates that they are at least 18 years of age. This notifies everybody that we don’t accept players under 18.
• When a player creates an account with us, we collect their name, address, and birth date to confirm that the player is at least 18 years old.
• We do not target underage players with our marketing and advertising. It is neither good business nor consistent with our personal and corporate values to attract underage players.

MoreIf you have children or teenagers in your household, take extra care to secure your computer and mobile devices.

• All Windows computers can be set up to have password control so that you must enter a password to get to the desktop, and mobile devices can be set up to require a passcode to unlock. In general, this is a good practice, but it’s even more important when there are children or teenagers in your household. Also, keep your username and password private. You can elect to have the software not remember your password each time you log-in. If you have any concern that somebody else might attempt to access your Stars Account, you should not allow the software to remember your password.

• If you have children or teenagers in your household, use protection software that allows you to limit the websites to which they have access, prevent file sharing, and generally give you detailed control over how your children use the Internet. Here is a list of some of those programs:

• SafeKids

• NetNanny

• If you are aware of an underage person using our platform, let us know. Contact Support and we will get right on it. Our first step is to investigate, and if warranted, freeze the player’s account and request identification from that player. We take these reports seriously.

• Be a responsible parent. In many ways, this is nothing more than keeping your eyes and ears open. If you hear your children talking about online game accounts and transactions made at online gaming sites, start asking questions. If you see the software on your child’s computer, uninstall it and ask more questions. A responsible parent is the best start to preventing underage gaming. You can find advice on how to talk to a young person about gambling here.

Self-exclusion

We provide you with the ability to exclude yourself from playing for a specific period of time. In order to do this please email our Responsible Gaming department directly and we will start your exclusion as soon as possible. Please note that all exclusions are irreversible for the duration of the specified time. In addition, all exclusion periods are inclusive of all games. Your exclusion will apply to your Stars Account, and to any product that requires your username to play.

If you wish to exclude yourself from all online gambling activity, consider downloading gamban®, software that helps you by blocking access to all online gambling.

You may also wish to investigate GamBlock, a software application that limits a computer’s access to online gaming sites.

What you can do to help yourself

Identify and reduce the risks

If you choose to play online, there are some general guidelines that can help make your playing experience safer, and reduce the risk that problems can occur:

23. Don’t play when you are upset, tired, or depressed. It is difficult to make good decisions when you are feeling down.

24. Balance your playing with other activities. Find other forms of entertainment so playing does not become too big a part of your life. If you believe that playing games might be a hindrance to your life rather than a form of entertainment, we want to help you. First, please review the following questions:

25. Have you ever taken time from your major daily obligations because of playing?

26. Has playing caused you to neglect your own welfare or that of your family?

27. Have you ever sold anything or borrowed money to finance your playing?

28. Have you often played until your last chip was gone?

29. Have you ever played longer than you had planned?

30. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your playing? If you answered “Yes” to several of these questions, we encourage you to visit Gamblers Anonymous.

You can take the test in its entirety at one of the following website:

www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/screening-tools/

MoreThere are risk factors that can contribute to the development of gambling issues and make it more difficult to stop gambling. Players can be more at risk if they:

• Have easy access to their preferred form of gambling
• Have had a recent loss or change in their personal life, such as divorce, job loss, retirement, or death of a loved one
• Often feel bored or lonely, or have a history of risk-taking or impulsive behavior
• Have a history of mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety
• Have a parent who also has (or has had) problems with gambling or other compulsive disorders
• Have (or have had) problems with alcohol or other drugs

The more factors that apply, the more likely a person is to develop a gambling problem.

If you are finding it hard to stop gambling, or if you’re already suffering from consequences related to your gambling behavior, it may be time to get help.

Setting limits on your purchases (where available)

We believe that you should be allowed to manage your own budget for playing online. We allow you to restrict your own weekly Play Money purchases. If you want to limit or block purchases of Play Money chips completely, you can contact Support for further assistance.

Please note that limit on weekly Play Money purchases only applies to certain payment methods.

Need help, advice or counselling?

If you feel you might have a gambling problem, and seek further advice or counselling, you can visit these web sites:

• Gamblers Anonymous

• National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)

• Call: 1-800-522-4700

• Chat: ncpgambling.org/chat

• Text: 1-800-522-4700

• International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG)

• Gambling Therapy

• EMAIL: [email protected]

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• 24/7 LIFELINE: 1-800-273-8255

PokerStars launched the PokerStars Ontario website in June 2022. Here's all you need to know about the new site and how to migrate.

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