If You Need Help Right Now
If you are in crisis or experiencing distress related to gambling, please contact one of these free, confidential services immediately:
Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858 (24 hours, 7 days)
Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days)
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (24 hours, 7 days)
Responsible Gambling: A Comprehensive Guide
This page represents the first priority in our content programme. At SafeGamble Australia, we believe that no amount of safety evaluation has value if it does not first address the fundamental reality that gambling can cause serious harm. This guide provides Australian players with the information, tools, and support pathways needed to maintain a healthy relationship with gambling — or to seek help if that relationship has become problematic.
Understanding Gambling Harm
Gambling harm is a spectrum, not a binary condition. Research conducted in the Australian context has consistently demonstrated that harm from gambling extends well beyond the clinical diagnosis of "gambling disorder" to affect a much wider population of players who may not recognise themselves as having a "problem." Financial strain, relationship stress, reduced work performance, sleep disruption, and emotional distress are all recognised forms of gambling-related harm that can affect recreational gamblers who would not meet clinical diagnostic criteria.
Our research team recognises that any platform providing gambling-related content has an ethical responsibility to ensure that readers have access to comprehensive, non-judgemental information about gambling harm and the support services available to address it. This responsibility informs every aspect of our work, from the structure of this guide to the prominent placement of helpline information across our entire site.
According to research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, approximately 0.5-1% of Australian adults meet the criteria for problem gambling, with an additional 1.4-3.7% experiencing moderate-risk gambling behaviours. However, the broader impacts of gambling harm extend to family members, friends, and communities, meaning the true population affected is considerably larger than these individual prevalence figures suggest.
Self-Assessment: Warning Signs
The following questions are adapted from validated screening instruments used in gambling research. They are not a diagnostic tool — only a qualified professional can provide a clinical assessment — but they can help you reflect on your gambling behaviour and identify potential areas of concern. Answer honestly and consider seeking professional guidance if you answer "yes" to any of these questions.
- Have you ever gambled longer than you originally intended?
- Have you ever gambled to escape from worry, stress, or emotional pain?
- Have you ever felt restless or irritable when trying to stop or reduce your gambling?
- Have you ever lied to family members or others about the extent of your gambling?
- Have you ever tried to win back money you have lost (chasing losses)?
- Have you ever borrowed money or sold possessions to fund gambling?
- Has your gambling caused conflict in important relationships?
- Have you ever neglected responsibilities at work, home, or school due to gambling?
- Have you felt guilty or anxious about your gambling behaviour?
- Have you attempted to reduce or stop gambling but found it difficult?
If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, we encourage you to contact Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counsellor.
Practical Harm Minimisation Strategies
The following strategies are evidence-based approaches to reducing gambling-related harm. They are applicable to all gamblers, not only those experiencing difficulties, and are consistent with a harm minimisation approach that recognises gambling as an activity carrying inherent risk.
💰 Set a Budget and Honour It
Before any gambling session, determine the maximum amount you are willing to lose and treat it as a non-recoverable entertainment expense. Once this limit is reached, stop playing. Do not extend the budget under any circumstances, regardless of whether you are winning or losing. Use the platform's deposit limit tools to automate this boundary.
⏰ Set Time Limits
Determine a maximum session duration before you begin and set an alarm or use the platform's session reminder function. Gambling distorts time perception — what feels like 30 minutes may have been two hours. Time limits prevent extended sessions that deplete both financial and emotional resources.
🚫 Never Chase Losses
Chasing losses — continuing to gamble in an attempt to recover money already lost — is one of the strongest predictors of gambling-related harm. Mathematically, the expected outcome of continued play is further loss, not recovery. When you reach your loss limit, stop. The money lost is gone, and additional gambling will not change this.
🧠 Understand the Odds
All casino games are designed to produce a statistical advantage for the operator over the long term. This is an immutable mathematical reality. Understanding that losses are the expected outcome over time helps maintain a realistic perspective and reduces the likelihood of unrealistic expectations driving harmful behaviour.
🚷 Avoid Gambling Under the Influence
Alcohol and other substances impair judgment, reduce impulse control, and increase risk-taking behaviour. Gambling while under the influence significantly increases the likelihood of exceeding planned limits and making decisions you would not make when sober. If you choose to drink, do not gamble.
👥 Maintain Other Activities
Gambling should never become your primary source of entertainment or social interaction. Maintaining a diverse range of activities and social connections provides perspective, reduces the emotional salience of gambling outcomes, and ensures that your wellbeing is not dependent on a single, inherently unpredictable activity.
Platform-Based Protection Tools
The platforms evaluated on this site offer various responsible gambling tools designed to help players manage their activity. We strongly encourage all players to activate these tools proactively, before they are needed in a crisis situation. The following tools are available across most audited platforms.
Deposit Limits
Set maximum deposit amounts on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Once the limit is reached, the platform will automatically decline further deposits. We recommend setting limits that align with your predetermined entertainment budget. Increases to deposit limits typically require a cooling-off period before taking effect, while decreases are applied immediately.
Loss Limits
Where available, loss limits cap the total amount that can be lost within a specified period. This provides a more direct control mechanism than deposit limits alone, as it accounts for the possibility of depositing additional funds within the same period.
Session Time Reminders
Configurable alerts that notify you of the duration of your current session. These reminders counter the time-distortion effect common during gambling and provide regular opportunities to consciously decide whether to continue or stop.
Cooling-Off Periods
Temporary account suspensions (typically 24 hours to 30 days) that prevent all gambling activity during the specified period. Cooling-off periods are useful when you feel your gambling may be becoming excessive but are not ready for a longer self-exclusion commitment.
Self-Exclusion
A formal mechanism to exclude yourself from a platform for an extended period (typically six months to permanently). Self-exclusion should be considered when other measures have proven insufficient. During self-exclusion, the platform is required to close your account and refuse any attempts to re-register. This is the strongest platform-based protection tool available.
Professional Support Services
The following Australian organisations provide free, confidential support for people affected by gambling harm. These services are staffed by trained professionals who understand gambling-related issues and can provide both immediate crisis support and longer-term therapeutic assistance.
Gambling Help Online
Phone: 1800 858 858 (free, 24/7)
The national gambling helpline provides telephone counselling, online chat support, and email counselling services. Trained counsellors can provide immediate support, assist with self-exclusion, and connect callers with ongoing treatment services in their area.
Lifeline Australia
Phone: 13 11 14 (24/7)
While not gambling-specific, Lifeline provides crisis support for anyone experiencing emotional distress. If gambling is causing you significant emotional pain, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts, Lifeline's trained crisis supporters can provide immediate assistance.
Beyond Blue
Phone: 1300 22 4636 (24/7)
Beyond Blue provides support for anxiety, depression, and emotional difficulties. Gambling-related harm frequently co-occurs with anxiety and depression, and Beyond Blue's counsellors can address these interconnected issues.
Financial Counselling Australia
Phone: 1800 007 007
Free financial counselling for anyone experiencing financial difficulty, including gambling-related debt. Financial counsellors can help negotiate with creditors, develop repayment plans, and access hardship provisions available under Australian consumer law.
Supporting Someone Else
If you are concerned about another person's gambling behaviour, it is important to approach the situation with empathy and without judgement. Gambling harm often carries significant shame and stigma, and confrontational approaches may cause the person to become defensive or withdraw. The following guidance may be helpful.
- Choose a calm, private moment to express your concerns — avoid raising the topic during or immediately after a gambling session or argument
- Focus on specific behaviours you have observed rather than making character judgements (e.g., "I've noticed you've been spending more time gambling" rather than "You have a gambling problem")
- Listen without interrupting and acknowledge the difficulty of the situation
- Avoid ultimatums or attempts to control the person's behaviour — these rarely produce lasting change and can damage the relationship
- Offer to accompany them to a support service or help them make a phone call to a helpline
- Take care of your own wellbeing — supporting someone with gambling issues can be emotionally demanding, and services like Gambling Help Online also support affected family members and friends
Remember: Help Is Always Available
There is no shame in seeking help. Gambling harm affects people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Professional support is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858
Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636