Gambling help: who to call and what to set

Everything on this page is free and confidential, most of it is open all night, and none of it asks you to explain yourself first.

Talk to someone now

• Gambling Help Online, 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, seven days: phone and web chat with counsellors, free and confidential. gamblinghelponline.org.au.
• Lifeline, 13 11 14, 24 hours: crisis support for any reason.
• State services run face-to-face counselling; the Gambling Help Online line connects you to the one for your state or territory.

Self-exclusion

BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register at betstop.gov.au, blocks you from every Australian-licensed bookmaker and betting site for a period you choose, from three months to permanent. It does not cover offshore casinos such as WinSpirit, because they are outside Australian licensing.

For WinSpirit itself, ask live chat for self-exclusion or account closure. The operator's homepage says it verifies identity so that deposit limits and self-exclusion can be applied to the right account. Ask for the exclusion to be confirmed by email and keep that email.

Tools inside the account

WinSpirit lets you set deposit limits on any payment method from account settings. Set the limit before a session, not during one, and set it for the week, not the day. If the site offers a cool-off period when you ask, take it; a week away costs nothing.

Signs it has stopped being a game

Chasing a loss to "get back to even". Depositing more than the amount you decided on before opening the app. Hiding the balance from someone at home. Any one of these is a reason to call the number at the top, not a reason to feel bad.

For family and friends

Gambling Help Online counsels partners and family members as well. You do not need the person who gambles to agree, and the call is confidential.

Gambling winnings can be spent; the money and time lost to gambling cannot be recovered. If this page is the one you came for, the phone line is the fastest thing on it: 1800 858 858.