Responsible Gambling

Free help, any time

Gambling Help Online is Australia's national support service. It is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by phone on 1800 858 858 and through online chat and email at gamblinghelponline.org.au. Counsellors help people who gamble and their family members and friends. You do not need to have a serious problem to call; many people use it to talk through a single bad week.

Warning signs

Problems with gambling usually build slowly. These signs suggest it is time to pause and talk to someone.

• Spending more money or time than you planned, more often than not.
• Chasing losses with bigger bets or another deposit.
• Borrowing money, using credit or selling things to gamble.
• Missing bills, work, study or time with family because of gambling.
• Hiding how much you gamble from people close to you.
• Feeling anxious, irritable or low when you are not gambling, or gambling to escape those feelings.

Limits you can set

The most effective limits are the ones set in advance, when you are calm. Decide a weekly or monthly budget from money left over after bills and savings, and a maximum session length. Then use the tools available to enforce them.

Licensed Australian bookmakers must let you set deposit limits and provide activity statements. Offshore casinos, which are the only places offering online casino games to Australians, decide for themselves which tools to offer; some have self-service deposit limits and cooling-off periods, others set them only through support. Ask before you deposit, and treat a casino that makes limits hard to find with caution.

Simple habits help too. Leave cards out of saved payment details, keep gambling money in a separate account with a fixed balance, set a phone timer for each session, and never gamble when you are upset, tired or have been drinking. If you notice you are breaking your own rules, that is the moment to tighten them, not to raise them.

Outside the casino, many Australian banks let you block card payments to gambling merchants from their apps, and blocking software such as Gamban or BetBlocker can stop gambling sites loading on your devices.

BetStop and self-exclusion

BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register, lets you exclude yourself from all licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers in one step, for three months up to permanently. It is free at betstop.gov.au. BetStop does not cover offshore casinos. To exclude yourself from an offshore casino, contact its support, ask for the exclusion in writing and ask whether it covers sister brands run by the same company.

If you are worried about someone else

Gambling harm affects partners, children, parents and friends as much as the person gambling. If you are worried about someone, Gambling Help Online also supports family members and friends, on the same number, 1800 858 858. Counsellors can help you plan a conversation, protect shared finances and look after yourself.

When you raise the subject, choose a calm moment, talk about specific things you have noticed rather than labels, and avoid lending money to cover losses. You cannot make someone stop gambling, but you can make it easier for them to ask for help, and you can protect your own money and wellbeing while they decide.

The legal context

Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, online casino games cannot be offered to people in Australia, and the casinos in our catalogue operate offshore under foreign licences. That means Australian consumer protections and dispute processes do not apply to them. We mention this not to discourage or encourage anyone, but because it affects how much you should rely on your own limits.

Our approach

We do not present gambling as a way to make money. Our pages explain wagering, caps and limits so that readers understand the cost of bonuses before claiming them, and every page with casino listings carries contact details for free support. Only adults aged 18 and over should gamble. You can return to our online gambling sites catalogue at any time, but if you are reading this page because gambling worries you, the better next step is a call to 1800 858 858.