Our Commitment to Responsible Gambling
At Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino, we believe that gaming is a leisure activity to be enjoyed freely and in a spirit of entertainment. is committed to providing an environment in which every guest can make informed, voluntary decisions about their participation in casino activities — and in which those who choose not to participate are welcomed and respected equally.
This page sets out the standards, tools and resources that underpin our responsible gambling programme. It applies to all gaming areas operated at the property located at , and to all persons who enter those areas.
We ask every guest, and every member of our team, to treat responsible gambling not as a compliance exercise but as a shared value — one that protects enjoyment, preserves dignity and supports the wellbeing of our community.
Adult-Only Access
Entry to all gaming areas at Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino is strictly restricted to persons who are aged 21 years or older . This minimum age applies without exception, regardless of whether a guest intends to play or simply to accompany others within the gaming floor.
Age Verification
Our team members are trained to request valid, government-issued photo identification from any person who appears to be under the minimum age, or at any time when age cannot be confirmed with confidence. Acceptable forms of identification include, but are not limited to:
- A current Canadian passport or foreign passport
- A valid provincial or territorial driver's licence
- A Canadian Permanent Resident card bearing a photograph
- A Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) issued by the Government of Canada
- Any other government-issued photo identification bearing date of birth
Any person who is unable or unwilling to provide satisfactory identification will be respectfully refused entry to gaming areas. No exception will be made on the basis of reservation status, membership level or prior visits.
Responsibility of Accompanying Guests
Guests are reminded that they must not permit, encourage or facilitate access to gaming areas by any person who does not meet the minimum age requirement. Any guest found to have assisted an underage individual in accessing the gaming floor may be asked to leave the property.
Gaming Is Optional
Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino is first and foremost a full-service hospitality destination. Gaming is one of several leisure facilities available to eligible adult guests, not an expectation or a requirement of your stay or visit.
Guests who prefer not to participate in gaming activities are equally valued and will experience no difference in the standard of service they receive from our team. Our staff will never apply pressure, incentivise or otherwise encourage any guest to begin or to continue gambling.
If at any point you would like to step away from gaming, you are free to do so at any time without explanation. Our team can assist you in transitioning to any of the non-gaming facilities available on the property.
Time and Spending Limits
Managing the time you spend gaming and the amount you are prepared to spend are two of the most effective ways to keep gambling a pleasurable leisure activity. We encourage every guest to set clear personal boundaries before entering the gaming floor and to honour those boundaries throughout their visit.
Setting Your Limits Before You Play
- Decide on a budget. Determine in advance the maximum amount of money you are willing to spend. Treat this figure as the cost of your entertainment for the session — not as a stake you expect to recover.
- Set a time boundary. Decide how long you intend to play and note the time at which you will stop, regardless of whether you are ahead or behind.
- Bring only what you have allocated. Leaving additional funds, payment cards and other financial means outside the gaming area helps make your pre-set budget a firm one.
- Plan what you will do when your session ends. Having a clear next activity in mind makes it easier to walk away at the agreed time.
During Play
- Never borrow money or use funds intended for essential living costs — such as rent, household bills or savings — to gamble.
- Do not attempt to recoup losses by increasing your bets or extending your session. Chasing losses is one of the clearest signals that gambling has moved beyond entertainment.
- Take advantage of natural break points in gameplay to review how much time has passed and how much of your budget remains.
- If you have reached your pre-set limit — of time or of money — stop. Our team can assist you in cashing out and leaving the gaming area.
Assistance from Our Team
Any guest may speak privately with a member of our Guest Services team to request assistance in managing their gaming activity. Our team can help you note your starting time, remind you when a nominated period has elapsed, or simply provide a discreet point of contact if you feel your limits are becoming difficult to maintain.
Recognising When Gambling May No Longer Be Enjoyable
For most people, gambling remains a controlled and enjoyable pastime. However, it can sometimes shift from a leisure activity into something that causes difficulty. Being aware of early warning signs allows you — or someone you care about — to take action sooner rather than later.
The following are behaviours and patterns that may indicate gambling has moved beyond recreation. They are offered as prompts for personal reflection, not as a measure of any individual's circumstances.
| Category | Signs to watch for |
|---|---|
| Spending patterns |
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| Time patterns |
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| Attitude toward play |
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| Relationships and daily life |
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If any of the above resonates with your own experience, or with what you have observed in someone you know, we encourage you to speak with a member of our Guest Services team, to take a break, or to explore the support options described later on this page. Recognising a change in your relationship with gambling is a positive and courageous step.
Taking Breaks
Regular breaks are an important part of responsible gambling. They provide an opportunity to assess how your session is going, whether you are still within your intended time and budget, and whether you are still enjoying yourself.
We encourage all guests to:
- Step away from gaming for at least a few minutes every hour
- Use break time to check the time elapsed against the limit you set
- Leave the gaming floor entirely during breaks — fresh air, a change of environment and physical movement all help to reset perspective
- Eat and remain hydrated during longer visits; fatigue and low energy can affect judgement
- Reflect honestly on whether you are still within your planned budget
Our gaming floor is designed to allow guests to move freely between gaming areas and the rest of the property at any time. Team members will never make a guest feel unwelcome for leaving or encourage a guest to return to gaming during a break.
Self-Exclusion at Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino
If you feel that taking a defined break from gambling would benefit you, our property offers a formal self-exclusion programme. Self-exclusion is a voluntary arrangement by which a guest requests to be refused entry to, and refused service within, the gaming areas of this property for an agreed period.
How Self-Exclusion Works
- Request. Contact our Guest Services team in person or by writing to info@dravellorprestigehotel.com to express your wish to self-exclude. All enquiries are handled with complete discretion and without judgement.
- Registration. You will be invited to complete a brief registration process. This will include providing a recent photograph and a valid form of identification so that our team can recognise and act upon your exclusion.
- Duration. We offer self-exclusion periods of six months, one year, two years and five years. You may also request a permanent exclusion with no end date.
- Effect. Once registered, your exclusion will be communicated confidentially to the relevant members of our gaming team. You will be refused entry to gaming areas for the duration of the exclusion period, and any player account or gaming card associated with your name will be suspended.
- Reinstatement. Requests to lift an exclusion before it expires will be assessed carefully and will include a waiting period designed to ensure the decision is considered rather than impulsive. Permanent exclusions cannot be lifted.
Important Considerations
We take our self-exclusion obligations seriously and make every reasonable effort to enforce registrations. However, we ask self-excluded guests to take responsibility for avoiding gaming areas during their exclusion period. If a self-excluded guest enters a gaming area, they will be asked to leave, any winnings accumulated during the visit may be withheld, and details of the exclusion may be reviewed.
Self-exclusion at this property does not automatically extend to any other casino or gaming venue. If broader exclusion from gaming across Nova Scotia is something you wish to pursue, we encourage you to contact the relevant provincial authority directly for information on province-wide or multi-venue exclusion programmes.
Marketing Suspension
Upon registration for self-exclusion, we will immediately remove your name and contact details from all gaming-related marketing communications. You will not receive promotional correspondence relating to casino activities for the duration of your exclusion.
Support from Trusted Contacts
Family members, partners and close friends are often among the first to notice that someone's relationship with gambling has changed. If you are concerned about a person close to you, this section is written for you.
If You Are Concerned About Someone
Approaching someone about a change in their gambling behaviour can feel difficult. The following suggestions may help you have a more constructive conversation:
- Choose a calm moment, free from immediate tension or conflict, to raise your concern.
- Frame the conversation around your care for the person rather than accusations about their behaviour.
- Be specific about what you have observed, using examples related to time, spending or changes in mood, rather than making general statements.
- Listen without interrupting. The person may need to speak before they are ready to accept support.
- Avoid issuing ultimatums or expressing frustration in a way that may cause the person to withdraw.
- Acknowledge that changing an established pattern of behaviour takes time and rarely follows a straight path.
Contacting Our Team on Behalf of a Guest
Family members and trusted contacts of a guest may approach our Guest Services team to share a concern in confidence. While we are unable to discuss personal details relating to another individual's stay or gaming activity, we can listen to your concern, provide information about the support options available and, where appropriate, take steps within our property to assist the individual concerned.
All conversations held with our responsible gambling team are treated with the highest degree of confidentiality.
Local and Provincial Support Resources
Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino encourages any guest — or anyone supporting a guest — who has concerns about gambling to seek guidance from the professional support services available in Nova Scotia and across Canada.
Provincial and federal authorities in Canada publish guidance, self-assessment tools and referral pathways for individuals who feel their gambling has become a concern. We encourage guests to contact the relevant provincial body in Nova Scotia or the appropriate federal resource for up-to-date information on the support options available in your area.
Support is available regardless of where you are in your journey — whether you are taking stock after a difficult session, seeking strategies to maintain control or looking for more sustained assistance. Reaching out for information is not a commitment; it is simply a way of understanding the options available to you.
How to Access Support
- Provincial authority. The Government of Nova Scotia provides information on responsible gambling and can direct individuals to appropriate local resources. Contact provincial government services for referral information.
- Federal guidance. The Government of Canada publishes general public-health guidance on gambling-related concerns through its relevant federal departments. This guidance is available through official government web and telephone channels.
- Community and peer support. Community-based support groups for individuals and families affected by gambling concerns operate in Nova Scotia and can be located through provincial health and social services information lines.
- Our team. Our Guest Services team at Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino can assist you in identifying the most relevant pathway to support, including provincial referral services, and can provide printed resource information upon request. You may reach us at info@dravellorprestigehotel.com .
Our Team and Responsible Gambling Training
Every member of the Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino team who works in or adjacent to gaming areas receives structured responsible gambling training as part of their induction. This training is refreshed on a regular basis and covers:
- Recognition of the behavioural signals that may indicate a guest is experiencing difficulty
- Appropriate and sensitive ways to approach a guest and offer assistance
- Knowledge of the self-exclusion process and how to guide a guest through it
- Referral pathways to Guest Services and to external support resources
- The legal and ethical obligations of the property with respect to underage access
- Procedures for refusing entry or service where required
If a member of our team approaches you during your visit to enquire about your wellbeing or to offer information, please understand that this comes from a place of genuine care and is part of our commitment to every guest. You are always free to decline or to continue your visit.
Safer Gambling Principles
The following principles summarise the standards we hold ourselves to in providing a safe and responsible gaming environment at Dravellor Prestige Hotel & Casino.
| Principle | Our commitment |
|---|---|
| Informed choice | We provide guests with clear information about the nature of games, odds and the tools available to them, so that they can make fully informed decisions about their participation. |
| No pressure | Our team will never apply pressure to encourage a guest to begin, continue or increase their gambling. Marketing materials do not misrepresent the likelihood of winning. |
| Accessibility of help | Information about responsible gambling tools, self-exclusion and support resources is displayed visibly throughout the gaming floor and is available from any member of our Guest Services team at any time. |
| Dignity and confidentiality | All conversations relating to responsible gambling are handled with complete respect for the individual. No guest will be stigmatised, embarrassed or treated differently for seeking assistance. |
| Protecting younger guests | The minimum age of 21 is enforced consistently and without exception. Our team is trained and empowered to refuse entry where age cannot be confirmed. |
| Continuous improvement | We review our responsible gambling programme on a regular basis, drawing on staff feedback, guest input and developments in public guidance, to ensure our practices remain effective and up to date. |
Contact Us
If you have questions about our responsible gambling programme, wish to request a self-exclusion, or would like to speak with a member of our team about any matter covered on this page, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Email: info@dravellorprestigehotel.com
All enquiries relating to responsible gambling are treated in strict confidence and handled by trained members of our Guest Services team.
Page Information
This page is published by , a company incorporated in Canada (Registration Number: 1194736286; GST/HST Registration: 834729165 RT0001), with its registered address at .
This page is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains current and accurate. The date of the most recent review is noted at the top of this page.