Talk to someone now
Gambling Help Online — call 1800 858 858 or chat at gamblinghelponline.org.au. It’s free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for you or someone close to you.
Lifeline — 13 11 14, for crisis support at any time.
Block yourself from betting
BetStop at betstop.gov.au is the national self-exclusion register. Once you register, licensed Australian betting providers must close your account and stop sending you marketing, for a period you choose.
For pokies in pubs, clubs and casinos, each state runs venue self-exclusion. Ask the venue’s staff or your state’s gambling help service to set it up.
Keep it a choice
- Decide your spend in dollars before you start, and leave the card at home.
- Remember that RTP is a long-run average: a machine never “owes” you.
- Take breaks. In NSW and Victoria, pub and club machines are switched off between 4am and 10am.
- If you’re chasing losses, that’s the moment to stop and call.
Signs worth noticing
Spending more than planned, borrowing to gamble, hiding it, or feeling low after playing are common signs that it’s stopped being entertainment. None of them means you’ve failed — they mean it’s a good time to talk to someone.