Responsible Gambling

Where to get help in Australia

Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by phone on 1800 858 858, by live chat and by email, for people who gamble and for their families and friends. You do not need to be in crisis to call.

BetStop is the National Self-Exclusion Register. It lets you exclude yourself from licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers for a period you choose. Registration is free.

If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Warning signs to watch for

• Spending more money or time on pokies than you planned, or more than you can afford.
• Buying another voucher or making another deposit to win back losses.
• Borrowing money, selling things or missing bills to keep gambling.
• Hiding how much you gamble from family or friends.
• Feeling anxious, irritable or low when you are not gambling, or when you try to cut back.
• Gambling to escape problems or to cope with stress.

One sign on its own does not mean you have a problem, but several together are a reason to talk to someone. Gambling Help Online also has self-assessment tools.

Tools that help you stay in control

Deposit limits. Most casinos let you set daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits in the account settings. Lowering a limit usually takes effect straight away; raising it usually involves a waiting period.

Time-outs and reality checks. Many casinos offer session reminders and short breaks of a day to several weeks.

Self-exclusion. Casinos offer longer exclusions on request. Offshore casinos are not part of BetStop, so if you want to stop playing at one, ask its support team to close or exclude your account, and consider blocking software on your devices.

Neosurf as a budget. A prepaid voucher has a fixed value and cannot be overdrawn. Buying one code per week, for an amount you have decided in advance, turns your budget into something physical. The tool only works if you do not buy another code straight after a loss.

Questions to ask yourself

A short, honest check every few weeks helps keep play in proportion. Gambling Help Online and similar services use questions like these:

• Have I spent more on pokies than I planned this month?
• Have I bought another voucher to win back a loss?
• Have I borrowed money, or skipped a bill, to gamble?
• Do I feel restless or irritable when I try to cut down?
• Have I hidden how much I play from people close to me?

Answering yes to any of these is a reason to pause and talk to someone. Support is free and confidential, and you do not need to be in crisis to call.

If you are worried about someone else

Gambling harm affects partners, children, parents and friends as well as the person who gambles. Gambling Help Online supports family members and friends too, with the same free phone line, chat and email. Talking about it calmly, without blame, and at a time when the person is not gambling, usually works better than confrontation.

Protect your own finances first. If money is going missing or bills are not being paid, a financial counsellor can help; the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 is free.

A note on the law

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 is the federal law that governs online gambling in Australia. It restricts which online gambling services may be offered to people in Australia, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the regulator that enforces it. The casinos covered on this site are offshore operators that are not licensed in Australia, which means Australian consumer protections and dispute services do not apply to them. Please take that into account before you play.

Our approach

We do not describe gambling as a way to make money, and we do not use urgency or pressure in our writing. Every page with casino offers includes links to support services. Our responsible gambling guidance draws on published research into problem gambling and limit-setting tools.

Return to the Neosurf online pokies guide.