Gambling help Australia: free support, warning signs and tools

Get help now

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, help is free and available right now.

State services such as GambleAware NSW and SA Gambling Harm Support offer counselling and information too. Gambling Help on 1800 858 858 will put you in touch with the service in your state. Our gambling counselling guide lists the free service in each state and what actually happens in a session.

Warning signs of gambling harm

Gambling harm can creep up slowly. These are common signs:

• spending more money or time than you planned, again and again
• chasing losses, or gambling to win back money you need
• borrowing, selling things or using bill money to gamble
• hiding how much you gamble from people close to you
• feeling anxious, irritable or low when you are not gambling
• gambling to escape stress or bad feelings

One sign does not mean you have a problem, but several together are worth talking about with someone who understands. Our guide to gambling addiction covers the signs health services look for, why it happens and the help that works.

Tools that help you stay in control

• Set limits before you start. Decide a money limit and a time limit, and stop at whichever comes first.
• Know the cost. The pokies calculator shows what an hour of play costs on average. Most people are surprised.
• Use deposit limits. Licensed Australian bookmakers let you set deposit limits in your account. Set one before you need it. Our deposit limits guide explains the rules and how to pick a number that holds.
• Take a break. BetStop covers every licensed Australian bookmaker. Our self-exclusion guide covers venues, banks and blocking software as well.
• Never gamble to pay bills or debts. Gambling is entertainment that costs money, never a way to make money.
• Have a plan to stop. If you want to quit, our how to stop gambling plan covers access, money, urges, triggers and support.

Our commitments

PokiePundit is for adults 18 and over only. We never promise wins, we show the cost of gambling on every calculator and we put help information on every page. We do not run pages aimed at getting around self-exclusion, and we explain the law plainly in are online pokies legal in Australia. If you think any page falls short of this, please tell us.

In this section

Guide Family and friends When someone you love gambles too much, you need support too. Here is how to raise it, what helps and what enables, how to protect shared money, and the free services that are there for you. Read more Guide Gambling addiction Gambling addiction means you keep gambling even when it is hurting you. Here are the signs health services look for, how common it is in Australia, and the free help that is open right now. Read more Guide Gambling counselling Gambling counselling costs nothing in Australia, and you can start tonight by phone or chat. Here is every way in, the service in your state and what actually happens in a session. Read more Guide Deposit limits Every licensed Australian betting account must let you set a binding deposit limit. Lowering it is instant, raising it takes a week. Here is how the rules work and how to choose a number you will stick to. Read more Guide How to stop gambling Stopping gambling is easier with a plan than with willpower alone. These seven steps cover access, money, urges, triggers and support, plus what to do if you slip. Read more