What Does Responsible Gambling Mean?
Responsible gambling means keeping gambling within limits that do not interfere with your finances, wellbeing, relationships or everyday responsibilities.
Gambling outcomes are uncertain. No strategy, sporting knowledge or previous result can guarantee that you will win.
A useful starting point is to treat money used for gambling as entertainment spending rather than money you expect to recover or turn into income.
Set Gambling Limits Before You Start
Setting limits in advance can make it easier to stay aware of how much time and money you are using.
Set a Spending Limit
Decide how much you can comfortably afford to lose before you begin.
Set a Time Limit
Choose how long you intend to play and take breaks rather than continuing automatically.
Avoid Chasing Losses
Increasing your spending to recover previous losses can quickly lead to spending more than planned.
Keep Gambling Separate
Avoid mixing gambling money with funds needed for household expenses, repayments or savings.
Signs Gambling May Be Becoming a Problem
Gambling behaviour can change gradually. It may be useful to reconsider your gambling if you notice changes in your spending, behaviour or emotional response.
- Spending more money than you originally planned.
- Gambling for longer periods than intended.
- Trying to win back money after a loss.
- Borrowing money or using essential funds to gamble.
- Hiding gambling activity from family or friends.
- Feeling stressed, anxious, angry or distressed because of gambling.
- Gambling interfering with work, study or relationships.
- Finding it difficult to reduce or stop gambling even when you want to.
When Taking a Break Can Help
Taking time away from gambling can help interrupt automatic habits and give you space to review your spending and behaviour.
A break may be particularly useful if you are trying to recover recent losses, gambling while emotional or finding it difficult to stop when planned.
Stop the Session
Do not continue simply because you have already spent time or money.
Review Your Spending
Look at how much you have actually spent rather than focusing only on individual wins.
Remove Easy Access
Consider using account controls, payment blocks or self-exclusion tools if required.
Speak to Someone
Independent gambling support can help you consider your options confidentially.
Self-Exclusion & BetStop
Self-exclusion is designed for people who want to block or restrict their own access to gambling services.
In Australia, BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register allows a person to self-exclude from all licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers through one registration.
BetStop allows self-exclusion from a minimum of three months through to lifetime exclusion.
BetStop – National Self-Exclusion Register
A free Australian Government service for self-exclusion from licensed online and phone wagering providers.
Gambling Support in Australia
Independent support is available if gambling is affecting you or someone you know.
You do not need to be in crisis before contacting a support service.
Gambling Help Online
Provides free online self-help information and confidential chat and email counselling.
National Gambling Helpline
Free and confidential gambling support is available 24 hours a day.
1800 858 858BetStop
Self-exclude from all licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers.
Additional Ways to Control Gambling Spending
Reducing access to gambling funds can be another practical step if you are trying to control your spending.
| Option | How It May Help |
|---|---|
| Bank Gambling Blocks | Some Australian banks provide tools that can block gambling-related transactions. |
| Spending Limits | Setting a fixed entertainment budget can help keep gambling separate from essential spending. |
| Account Controls | Where available, account controls can help restrict access or spending. |
| Financial Counselling | Independent financial counsellors may help if gambling has contributed to debt or financial stress. |
Protecting Minors From Gambling
Gambling services should not be used by minors.
Adults should avoid sharing gambling account credentials and should take reasonable steps to prevent children or teenagers from accessing gambling accounts or payment methods.
- Do not share your gambling account password.
- Log out when using a shared device.
- Protect stored payment information.
- Use device-level parental controls where appropriate.
- Avoid leaving an active gambling account accessible on shared devices.
Supporting Someone Affected by Gambling
Gambling-related harm can affect partners, family members and friends as well as the person who is gambling.
If you are concerned about someone, independent support services can also provide information for family members and other affected people.
Responsible Gambling FAQ
What is responsible gambling?
Responsible gambling means keeping gambling within financial and time limits that do not interfere with your wellbeing, responsibilities or relationships.
What does chasing losses mean?
Chasing losses means continuing or increasing gambling in an attempt to recover money that has already been lost.
What is gambling self-exclusion?
Self-exclusion is a process that allows a person to voluntarily restrict their own access to gambling services for a selected period.
What is BetStop?
BetStop is Australia's National Self-Exclusion Register for licensed online and phone wagering providers.
Where can I get gambling help in Australia?
Gambling Help Online provides independent support, while the National Gambling Helpline can be reached on 1800 858 858.
Can family members get gambling support too?
Yes. Gambling support services can also assist people who are affected by someone else's gambling.