# Gambling help in Australia: who to call and how to block yourself

> Call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858: it's free and confidential, and open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Gambling Help Online offers free counselling by chat and email, also 24/7. To block yourself from every licensed Australian online and phone betting provider for anywhere from 3 months to life, register with BetStop, the national self-exclusion register. BetStop doesn't reach illegal offshore casinos, so a gambling block from your bank and venue exclusion programs can help too.

- URL: https://safebet.ai/au/guides/gambling-help-australia/
- Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/au/guides/gambling-help-australia/index.html.md
- Last updated: 2026-10-25 (re-checked when an operator changes its terms or a regulator or court acts)
- Author: SafeBet.ai Research Team (SafeBet.ai)
- Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/

## Key takeaways

- The National Gambling Helpline, 1800 858 858, is free, confidential and open 24/7, for people who gamble and for anyone affected by someone else's gambling.
- Gambling Help Online offers free 24/7 chat and email counselling, self-help material and a directory of services in each state and territory.
- BetStop blocks you from every licensed Australian online and phone betting provider for at least 3 months, up to a lifetime; more than 60,000 people registered between August 2023 and April 2026.
- BetStop doesn't apply to online casinos or other gambling services provided illegally, or to venues with pokies and casinos, which have their own exclusion programs.
- Many major banks let you block gambling transactions, and the National Debt Helpline, 1800 007 007, gives free advice from financial counsellors.

## Talk to someone now

- **National Gambling Helpline: 1800 858 858.** Free and confidential, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It's for anyone affected by gambling, not just the person who gambles. In New South Wales the service is called GambleAware, and in Victoria Gambler's Help; both use the same number. Gambler's Help also runs a Youthline on 1800 262 376.
- **[Gambling Help Online](https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/).** Free counselling by chat and email, 24/7, plus self-help material. Services differ between states and territories, and Gambling Help Online lists [the ones near you](https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/local-support-services).
- **[Gamblers Anonymous](https://gaaustralia.org.au/)** holds local meetings across Australia.
- **In a crisis:** Lifeline offers free help and crisis support 24/7. Call 13 11 14, text 0477 131 114 or use its [online chat](https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat/).

## Block yourself with BetStop

[BetStop](https://www.betstop.gov.au/), the National Self-Exclusion Register, is a free Australian Government service that blocks you from every licensed Australian online and phone betting provider at once. You can't pick and choose providers. It's run for ACMA by Dataworks Group Limited, and it's set up under the Interactive Gambling Act. Between its launch in August 2023 and April 2026, more than 60,000 Australians registered, and in April 2026 more than 37,000 registrations were active.

**How it works:**

1. **Sign up online.** You need a mobile phone number, an email address and an Australian driver's licence, Australian passport or Medicare card. For help, or to use a different identity document, call BetStop on **1800 238 786**.
2. **Choose how long.** At least 3 months, up to a lifetime.
3. **Providers shut you out.** Once you're registered, licensed online and phone betting providers shouldn't let you open an account or place a bet, or send you marketing. They must close any accounts you have and refund any credit. Closed accounts aren't reopened when your exclusion ends: you'd have to open a new one.
4. **Bring someone along, if you like.** You can nominate up to five support people, such as a friend or family member. With their consent, BetStop contacts them at various stages and tells them if your registration changes.

**Extending or ending it.** You can extend your exclusion at any time, and BetStop contacts you before it ends. You can only end it early after at least 3 months, with a Commonwealth statutory declaration confirming you've seen a counsellor or a GP about the decision; you're removed 7 days later and can withdraw the application in the meantime. You can register again whenever you like.

**State and territory registers.** If you've already excluded yourself through a state or territory program, your details aren't transferred: you need to register with BetStop separately.

**If a provider breaks the rules.** If a licensed provider lets you bet or sends you marketing while you're registered, you can complain to BetStop. Every licensed provider must mention BetStop and link to it on its home page and responsible gambling pages.

## What BetStop doesn't cover

- **Illegal sites.** BetStop "does not apply to online casino games or other gambling services that are illegally provided in Australia". Online casinos, pokies and poker can't legally be offered to people in Australia at all; our guide to [whether online casinos are legal in Australia](https://safebet.ai/au/guides/are-online-casinos-legal-in-australia/) explains the risks of offshore sites.
- **Venues.** Venues with poker machines, and casinos, have their own exclusion programs, which differ depending on where you live. Gambling Help Online has the details for your area.

## Other ways to put up barriers

- **Block gambling payments.** Many major banks let you block gambling transactions on your accounts; ask your bank how.
- **Use the tools on your betting account.** Under the National Consumer Protection Framework, every licensed online betting provider must ask new customers to set a deposit limit (or opt out of one) and stop deposits that would breach it, send free monthly activity statements, and make it simple to close your account, with a phone number you can call to do it.
- **Try an app.** [Reset](https://resetapp.com.au/) is a free, confidential app for people who want to quit or cut back on gambling.

## Help with money worries

The [National Debt Helpline](https://ndh.org.au/) on **1800 007 007** gives free and confidential advice from professional financial counsellors, from 9:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. The Australian Government's [Moneysmart](https://moneysmart.gov.au/about-us) website has free tools for taking control of your money, including where to find free legal advice.

## If you're worried about someone else

You can't register another person with BetStop: they have to do it themselves. The National Gambling Helpline and Gambling Help Online are there for family and friends too, and Gambling Help Online has information on how to start the conversation.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the gambling helpline number in Australia?

1800 858 858, the National Gambling Helpline. It's free and confidential, and open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The same number is used by GambleAware in New South Wales and Gambler's Help in Victoria.

### How do I register with BetStop?

Sign up on the [BetStop website](https://www.betstop.gov.au/). You need a mobile phone number, an email address and an Australian driver's licence, Australian passport or Medicare card. If you need help, or want to use another identity document, call BetStop on 1800 238 786.

### How long does BetStop last?

You choose: at least 3 months, up to a lifetime. You can extend it at any time, and BetStop contacts you before your exclusion ends. You can end it early only after at least 3 months, with a statutory declaration confirming you've seen a counsellor or a GP; you're then removed 7 days later.

### Does BetStop block offshore casinos?

No. BetStop doesn't apply to online casino games or other gambling services provided illegally in Australia. Those sites are illegal anyway, and ACMA has many of them blocked; see [are online casinos legal in Australia?](https://safebet.ai/au/guides/are-online-casinos-legal-in-australia/)

### Can I register someone else with BetStop?

No. People have to register themselves. Gambling Help Online has information on how to talk to someone about their gambling, and the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 is also there for family and friends.

### What if a betting site lets me bet while I'm on BetStop?

Once you're registered, licensed online and phone betting providers shouldn't let you open an account, place a bet or send you marketing. If you think one has broken the rules, you can complain to BetStop.

## Sources

1. [Support tools](https://www.betstop.gov.au/support-tools/) — BetStop (ACMA), accessed 2026-10-23
2. [About this service](https://www.betstop.gov.au/about/) — BetStop (ACMA), accessed 2026-10-23
3. [FAQs](https://www.betstop.gov.au/faqs/) — BetStop (ACMA), accessed 2026-10-23
4. [Interactive Gambling Act 2001, Part 7B (ss 61JA, 61JK)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00851/latest/text) — Federal Register of Legislation, compilation of 2024-10-14; accessed 2026-10-23
5. [Interactive Gambling (National Self-exclusion Register) Register Rules 2022, rule 25](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2022L00953/latest/text) — Federal Register of Legislation, registered 2022-07-05; accessed 2026-10-23
6. [Australian Government Response to You win some, you lose more](https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=3c21f827-b751-4aad-a653-7d96cbda2376) — Australian Government, May 2026 (listed by Parliament on 2026-05-12)
7. [Get support](https://www.vgccc.vic.gov.au/for-community/gambling-information-and-support/get-support) — Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, updated 2025-03-17
8. [GambleAware: free support and information](https://www.gambleaware.nsw.gov.au/) — GambleAware (NSW Government), accessed 2026-10-23
9. [National Consumer Protection Framework](https://www.vgccc.vic.gov.au/for-gambling-providers/bookmakers/national-consumer-protection-framework) — Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, updated 2026-06-12
10. [Bookmakers and the National Consumer Protection Framework](https://www.vgccc.vic.gov.au/for-community/news-and-media/industry-news/bookmakers-and-the-national-consumer-protection-framework) — Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, 2025-05-30