RGC releases first Canadian framework for assessing digital gambling support apps

TORONTO, ON — [OCTOBER 29, 2026] — The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) today released Digital Support Apps: Expanding Access to Harm Reduction Tools, a report and assessment framework that gives Canadian gambling operators, app developers, and regulators a consistent way to evaluate mobile apps and bet-blocking software designed to reduce gambling-related harm.

Mobile apps and bet-blocking software are increasingly in the hands of people who want to reduce or manage gambling-related harm. Operators are being approached for endorsement, and regulators want to know what good looks like. Until now, Canada has had no consistent reference point for answering either question.

The report introduces the Safer Gambling App Endorsement Framework, a checklist with six domains:

1. functionality and purpose;
2. accessibility and inclusion;
3. user protection and privacy;
4. core responsible gambling features;
5. testing and evaluation;
6. and governance and independence.

It draws on peer-reviewed research on smartphone-based gambling interventions, the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS), established app-quality frameworks and six focus groups with 16 Canadian players held in English and French across multiple provinces.

The framework is a decision-support tool for operators and developers. It is not an RGC endorsement of any app, a ranking of products or a compliance standard.

Focus group participants said lengthy sign-up flows pushed them away, and they preferred to preview an app before sharing personal information. Paywalls and subscription prompts behind features labelled as urgent, such as “SOS” or “Get Help Now,” damaged trust. Some apps read as U.S.-centric and missed province-specific helplines, self-exclusion pathways, and local care networks. Participants also described apps as one tool among many, not a replacement for treatment, motivation or venue-based responsible gambling measures.

“Players are telling us that the details matter in digital gambling support tools, including onboarding, privacy, and whether an app connects to help in their own province,” said Sarah McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer of the Responsible Gambling Council. “This framework gives the field a defensible basis for those decisions, grounded in evidence and in what Canadian players shared with us.”

Operators and developers can apply the checklist directly to tools under review, with follow-up support available through RGC Advisory Services.

This is the first iteration of the framework, and it will be revised as new evidence, tools and player perspectives emerge. RGC welcomes feedback from operators, developers, regulators and researchers.

The report was developed with support from the Canadian Responsible Gambling Association. Download the documents here.

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About the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC)

The Responsible Gambling Council is an independent, non-profit organization that has been a leader in the prevention of problem gambling in Canada and globally for over 40 years. RGC works with regulators, operators, treatment providers, community agencies, schools, leagues, players, and families to prevent problem gambling and reduce risk. Learn more at responsiblegambling.org.

Media Contact

Patrick Moore
Senior Manager, PR & Communications
Responsible Gambling Council
patrickm@rgco.org

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