This guide is part of our best online casinos in Australia site, and it explains each tool, what it covers, and where to get free, confidential help.
Where can you get help right now?
If gambling is causing you harm, you do not have to deal with it alone. These services are free and confidential:
If you are worried about your safety or someone else’s, call 000.
Which tools can block gambling in Australia?
No single tool covers everything, so most people use several together:
The strongest setup combines a block on access with a block on money, so a single weak moment meets two barriers instead of one.
How does BetStop work?
BetStop is the national self-exclusion register for online and phone betting. When you register:
- You choose a period: from three months up to a lifetime, and you can extend it at any time.
- Bookmakers close your accounts: licensed providers must close your accounts and refund any credit.
- You cannot bet or open new accounts: with any licensed Australian online or phone bookmaker.
- Marketing stops: licensed providers cannot send you betting promotions.
- You can nominate support people: up to five people who are told about your exclusion.
Registration takes about five minutes with a Medicare card, Australian passport or driver licence. BetStop does not cover offshore online casinos, which are not licensed in Australia, so it is only part of the answer if you play online pokies or casino games.
How do you self-exclude from online casinos?
Online casinos that accept Australians are offshore, so you must exclude from each one separately:
- Find the responsible gambling page: usually linked in the footer or your account settings.
- Choose self-exclusion, not a cooling-off period: a cooling-off break can be as short as a day, while self-exclusion usually runs for months or permanently.
- Withdraw your balance first: or ask support to pay it out when the account closes.
- Ask for marketing to stop: emails, texts and bonus offers.
- Repeat for every casino: where you have an account.
Many offshore casinos belong to groups that share a licence, and some apply your exclusion across the whole group if you ask. Self-exclusion at one casino does not stop you signing up at another, which is why blocking software matters.
How does blocking software help?
Blocking software stops gambling websites and apps from opening on your devices, including new casinos you have never visited. Common options include Gamban, GamBlock and BetBlocker, which work on phones and computers.
For the best protection:
- Install it on every device: your phone, laptop, tablet and work computer if allowed.
- Make it hard to remove: some tools let you set a long block period or give a trusted person the password.
- Combine it with self-exclusion: software blocks access, self-exclusion closes the accounts.
How can you block gambling payments?
Cutting off money makes it much harder to gamble on impulse:
- Turn on your bank’s gambling block: many Australian banks let you block gambling transactions on your cards in their app.
- Remove saved cards and wallets: from casino and betting accounts.
- Avoid crypto and vouchers: they get around card blocks, so delete crypto apps if they were your way to deposit.
- Ask someone to help manage money: for a while, a trusted person can hold cards or approve large payments.
- Talk to a financial counsellor: the National Debt Helpline can help with gambling debts for free.
What can you do when the urge to gamble hits?
Urges are normal, especially early on, and they pass. These techniques help:
- Delay: tell yourself you will decide in 15 minutes, then wait. Urges rise and fall like a wave.
- Change what you are doing: go for a walk, exercise, cook or call someone.
- Talk to someone: a friend, family member or counsellor.
- Remind yourself why you stopped: keep a short note on your phone with your reasons.
- Get help if it stays: Gambling Help Online answers 24/7 on 1800 858 858.
Plan ahead for high-risk times, such as payday, big sporting events or nights alone, and fill them with something else.
What are the signs gambling has become a problem?
Gambling may be causing harm if you:
- Spend more than you planned: money or time.
- Chase losses: gamble more to win back what you lost.
- Borrow or use bill money: to gamble.
- Hide your gambling: from family or friends.
- Feel anxious or low: about gambling, or irritable when you try to cut down.
- Neglect work, study or relationships.
If any of these sound familiar, it is a good time to talk to someone. Gambling Help Online has a free self-check and counsellors who can help you decide what to do next.
What if you want to cut down rather than stop?
Some people want to reduce gambling rather than quit. If you choose that route, set firm limits before you start:
If you keep breaking your limits, stopping completely may be the safer choice. Never chase losses, and withdraw any winnings rather than playing them again.
How can you help someone else stop gambling?
If someone close to you is struggling:
- Talk calmly and privately: focus on how their gambling affects you, not on blame.
- Protect your own money: separate accounts and do not lend money for gambling.
- Encourage support: offer to sit with them while they call Gambling Help Online or register with BetStop.
- Look after yourself: support services also help family and friends, not just the person who gambles.
The decision to self-exclude can only be made by the person themselves, but you can be one of their nominated BetStop support people if they ask.
How do we approach responsible gambling at Casino Owls?
We review online casinos, but we do not want anyone to gamble more than they can afford. Gambling should be a paid form of entertainment, not a way to make money. Every guide on our site explains the risks, the house edge and the tools that help you stay in control, and our guide on whether online gambling is legal in Australia explains why offshore casinos are not covered by Australian protections. If you have decided to stop, close this site and use the services above. If gambling stops being fun, Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support 24/7 on 1800 858 858.
