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Responsible Gaming means knowing when to ask for help. You don’t have to be in crisis to talk to someone, and you don’t need to give your name. Counselors can help at any stage, whether you’re concerned about your own gambling or someone close to you. Pokie Finder encourages you to reach out early if gambling is becoming difficult to manage.
Gambling Help Online — call or chat online, 24 hours, every day.
Recognising harm
Signs that gambling has stopped being entertainment
Harm builds gradually and rarely announces itself. Any one of these is worth paying attention to — several together is a good reason to talk to someone.
Spending more than planned
Regularly going past the amount or the time you set before you started.
Chasing losses
Returning to win back money already lost, or betting more to get even.
Borrowing to play
Using credit, loans, or money set aside for bills, rent or family.
Hiding it
Being vague with partners or friends about where you’ve been or what you’ve spent.
Missing commitments
Work, study, sleep or family time slipping because of time spent gambling.
Feeling it afterwards
Guilt, irritability or low mood after playing, or anxiety about stopping.
Support services
Where to get help in Australia
National and state-based support. All services listed are free and confidential.
| Service | Coverage | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Help Online | National | 1800 858 858, 24/7 phone and online chat |
| Lifeline | National, general crisis support | 13 11 14, 24/7 |
| National Debt Helpline (Financial Counselling Australia) | National, debt and money stress | 1800 007 007 |
| BetStop | National self-exclusion register for licensed online and phone wagering providers only. It does not cover pokies or other gambling in pubs, clubs or casinos. | betstop.gov.au |
| GambleAware NSW | New South Wales | 1800 858 858 |
| Gambler’s Help | Victoria | 1800 858 858 |
| Gambling Help Queensland | Queensland | 1800 858 858 |
| Gambling Harm Support SA | South Australia | 1800 858 858 |
| Gambling Help WA | Western Australia | 1800 858 858 (24/7), or Gambling Help WA on 08 9325 6644 (business hours) |
| Gamblers Helpline Tasmania | Tasmania | 1800 858 858 |
| ACT Gambling Support Service | Australian Capital Territory | 1800 858 858 |
| Amity Community Services | Northern Territory | 1800 858 858 |
Service details checked against official websites on 12 October 2026. 1800 858 858 connects you to your local Gambling Help service in every state and territory.
Self-exclusion
How self-exclusion works
Self-exclusion is a formal agreement barring you from entering a venue’s gaming area for a set period. It is free, it can cover multiple venues at once, and venues are required to make it straightforward.
Venue self-exclusion schemes by state and territory. For online and phone wagering, use BetStop.
| State / territory | Venue self-exclusion scheme | Official information |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Multi-Venue Self-Exclusion (MVSE) for pubs and clubs, or a single-venue agreement. Casinos run their own exclusion programs. | GambleAware NSW: take a break and ban yourself |
| Victoria | Self-exclusion programs run by the Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) and Community Clubs Victoria cover hotels and clubs. Crown Melbourne runs its own program. | Gambler’s Help: self-exclusion VGCCC: self-exclusion |
| Queensland | Statutory self-exclusion notice lodged with the venue or through a Gambling Help service, for up to 5 years. | Queensland Government: self-exclusion |
| South Australia | Self-barring through Consumer and Business Services, covering one or more venues. Self-barring lasts at least 12 months. | SA Government: bar yourself from gambling |
| Western Australia | Crown Perth self-exclusion program (Crown PlaySafe), minimum 12 months. Crown Perth is the only venue in WA with electronic gaming machines. | Crown Perth: self-exclusion |
| Tasmania | Tasmanian Gambling Exclusion Scheme, administered by the Liquor and Gaming Branch of the Department of Treasury and Finance. | Tasmanian Treasury: exclusions |
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT Gambling Exclusion Scheme, run by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission, for 6 months to 3 years. | ACT Government: exclusion from gambling |
| Northern Territory | Self-exclusion deed arranged through a counsellor, a venue manager or Hospitality NT, for up to 2 years. One application can cover multiple venues. | NT Government: self-exclusion |
Decide the scope
A single venue, a group of venues in your area, or a statewide scheme where one is available.
Ask a venue or a counsellor
Any venue’s responsible gambling officer can start the paperwork, as can a Gambling Help counsellor by phone.
Sign the agreement
You provide a photo so staff can identify you, choose the length of the exclusion and sign. There is no fee.
Add support around it
Exclusion works best alongside counselling, financial counselling and blocking tools on cards and accounts.
Practical steps
Things that genuinely help
None of these are strategies for winning. They are simple ways to stay in control of your time and money, which are things you can actually manage. Pokie Finder encourages players to use these tips to keep gambling within their limits.
Set a time and a dollar limit first
Decide both before you leave home, not once you are inside.
Leave cards at home
Bring only the cash you have decided to spend.
Never chase a loss
Treat any loss as final the moment it happens.
Use venue self-exclusion tools
Ask staff about self-exclusion at any time, no explanation required.