Player Safety

Responsible Gambling

Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money or escape problems. This page covers how to keep it that way — and where to get help if it isn't.

Free 24/7 Help Lines

All services below are free, confidential, and available to anyone in Australia.

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Gambling Help Online

1800 858 858 · 24/7 · Free · gamblinghelponline.org.au

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Gambling Help Online Chat

Live chat available 24/7 at gamblinghelponline.org.au — no phone call required

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Lifeline

13 11 14 · 24/7 · Crisis support for any reason

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Beyond Blue

1300 22 4636 · 24/7 · Mental health and anxiety support

Self-Exclusion via BetStop

BetStop is Australia's National Self-Exclusion Register, operated by ACMA. It allows you to exclude yourself from all Australian-licensed online wagering services in one step.

For offshore casinos (the sites reviewed on this page), self-exclusion must be applied directly with each casino. Every casino on our list has a responsible gambling section in their account settings — most support voluntary deposit limits, session time limits, cooling-off periods, and full self-exclusion.

BetStop: betstop.gov.au — covers AU-licensed operators
For offshore sites: contact the casino's support team and request self-exclusion directly — they are obligated to action it promptly

Warning Signs

Consider seeking help if any of these apply to you:

You spend more than you can afford to lose

You chase losses — depositing more to try to win back what you've lost

Gambling takes time away from work, family, or things you enjoy

You feel anxious, irritable, or depressed when you can't gamble

You lie to people close to you about how much you gamble or spend

You've borrowed money or sold things to fund gambling

You think about gambling frequently when you're not playing

If two or more of the above apply, speaking with a counsellor is worth considering. All the services listed above are free and non-judgmental.

Practical Tools to Stay in Control

Set a deposit limit before you play — not after. Decide the maximum you're comfortable losing in a session and set it in the casino's account settings before you make your first deposit.
Set a time limit — most casinos let you set session time reminders. An hour passes quickly when you're playing. Set a reminder at 30 and 60 minutes.
Never chase losses — if you've hit your limit, the session is over. The math doesn't change on the next spin.
Don't gamble under the influence — alcohol and fatigue significantly affect decision-making and risk tolerance.
Keep gambling separate from other accounts — using a dedicated account with a fixed transfer prevents gradual overspending.
Take a break before a big deposit — if you find yourself wanting to deposit significantly more than usual, wait 24 hours first.

Our Commitment

Pokie Scout only lists casinos that offer meaningful responsible gambling tools: deposit limits, session limits, cooling-off periods, and a clear self-exclusion process. We do not promote casinos with a pattern of ignoring self-exclusion requests or delaying withdrawals to problem gamblers. Casinos with substantiated complaints of this kind are removed from our list.

This site is for adults aged 18 and over. If you are concerned about a young person's gambling, the Gambling Help Online service can advise on how to approach the conversation.