If Your Gambling Is Out Of Control Just Take A Break

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Take a break and ban yourself

Man, woman, girl and boy playing cricket in backyardA good way to take control is deciding to block, ban or bar yourself (also called self-exclusion) from gambling.

Self-exclusion can help if you want to cut down, have a break or quit for good. You choose the locations or websites you want to be banned from. Anyone can do it, and it’s free.

How does it work?

You choose the locations or websites that you know present risks for you – a venue, the section of a venue where there’s gambling (say, the gaming room), or an online betting service – and you say how long you want to opt out. It might be temporary or permanent. It’s your call.

For casinos, clubs, pubs and the TAB

You sign an agreement that sets out your obligations, including that you won’t be allowed to go into places you’ve specified. If you try to go in, staff will stop you from entering.

In NSW, the minimum time you can self-exclude from casinos, clubs and pubs is 6 months. The minimum time you can self-exclude from TAB Agencies and their participating licensed venues is 12 months.

When you fill out the self-exclusion agreement you’ll need to provide a:

  • copy of your photo ID (driver licence or passport)
  • passport-size photo
  • list of the venues, parts of venues and TAB Agencies you want to be barred from.

This information is confidential. Your name and photo will be added to the venue’s register, but only the staff who need to identify you will have access.

  • In person
    Contact the venue directly and let them know you want to self-exclude. They’ll explain what you have to do, and you’ll sign an agreement identifying the venue, or the part of the venue, you want to be blocked from.
  • Through a gambling counsellor
    A GambleAware counsellor can help you self-exclude from any pub, club, TAB Agency or casino in NSW, so you don’t have to go to the venue at all. You can ban yourself from up to 35 venues in one go. Get in touch with a gambling counsellor or call GambleAware on 1800 858 858 24/7.

TAB’s BetCare Program lets you fill out a form to nominate up to 15 TAB Agencies and participating hotels and clubs in NSW – plus your online account. To find out more, call 1800 882 876 or check out the BetCare brochure.

For all licensed online betting

Use BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register to ban yourself from all licensed online betting services in a single step.

  • The ban can be a minimum of three months and up to a lifetime
  • ban yourself from approximately all of the 150 licensed wagering providers in Australia
  • nominate up to 5 people to help you manage your ban.

If you ban yourself, wagering providers will be required to close all your betting accounts and must not:

  • let you place a bet
  • let you open a new account
  • send you marketing messages.

In about 5 minutes you can register using a mobile phone number, email address and either an Australian drivers license or a Medicare card. Registering is quick and easy and can be done at BetStop. To find out more, read the Australian Communications and Media Authority FAQ or call 1800 238 786.

For individual online betting services

If you only want to ban yourself from one or some betting services, you need to contact your betting provider directly to request the ban. When you ban yourself from an online betting service, including TAB, your account will be deactivated. You won’t be able to use it for betting.

The ban can be permanent, or you can take a break for days, weeks or months.

While you’re blocked you can withdraw any remaining balance, but you can’t reopen the account.

Every legal online betting service has tools to help you keep your spending in check. You can set deposit and transaction limits with them, and even put a self-exclusion in place.

Here are some links to help you check out your betting service’s commitment to you:

Ladbrokes and neds (Entain)

TAB

Sportsbet

Unibet

bet365

You can also use blocking software

Specialist blocking software can prevent access to all online gambling sites, servers and apps in one go. It’s a great way to help stop kids and young people experimenting with gambling online.

There are 2 types of blocking software. Take a look at user reviews and ratings to decide what’s right for you.

Lets you set authorisations or parental controls to prevent or monitor access to a range of websites or apps.

For example, Net Nanny filters different categories of online content in addition to gambling. It can track searches, enforce safe search, and set alerts for flagged words like “poker” or “casino”. It can also place daily time limits on device use.

Lets you block gambling advertising and access to gambling websites:

  • Gamban for Android, Windows, iOS and macOS
  • GamBlock for Android, Windows, iOS and Mac
  • Betfilter for Android, Windows, iOS and Mac
  • BetBlocker for Android, Windows, Linux, Fire OS, iOS and Mac
GambleAware acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land and we pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. GambleAware is an inclusive support service.
Copyright © 2022 NSW Office of Responsible Gambling