Staying in control while you play

The premise

Every game in this building has a house edge. Over enough spins the house wins — that is the arithmetic the business runs on, and no strategy, system or streak changes it. Gambling is a form of entertainment with a price attached, exactly like a night out. It is not an income, it is not an investment, and it is not a way to recover money you have already lost.

The tools, and where they are

All of them live in the account menu and take seconds to switch on. A deposit limit caps what can enter the account per day, week or month. A loss limit caps what can be lost in a period. A session reminder interrupts play at an interval you choose. A time-out closes the account temporarily; self-exclusion closes it for a fixed term or permanently, and once it is set it cannot be lifted early by asking nicely — that is the entire point of it.

Warning signs

Chasing losses is the first one, and the most common: increasing stakes to recover what has gone, rather than accepting that it has gone. Others are borrowing to play, hiding play from people close to you, gambling to escape stress or low mood, and playing money that was allocated to rent, food or bills. If two of those sentences describe you, the deposit limit is the wrong tool and the self-exclusion is the right one.

Where to get help in Australia

Gambling Help Online is free, confidential and available around the clock on 1800 858 858, with counselling by phone and online chat. Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14 if the pressure has gone beyond gambling itself. International services including Gambling Therapy and Gamblers Anonymous offer support and meetings as well.

Setting a limit before you need one

The best moment to set a deposit limit is the moment you do not feel you need it, because a limit set calmly on a Tuesday is the one that holds on a Saturday night. Decide what a month of entertainment is worth to you, cap the account at that number, and let the cap do the arguing later when your judgement is worse than it is now. Raising a limit takes a cooling-off period by design; lowering one takes effect immediately.

It is also worth separating the money. Play from an account that is not the account your rent leaves from, and never from credit. A balance you cannot afford to lose is a balance that will make you play badly to protect it, which is the exact mechanism that turns a bad night into a bad month.

Under 18s

Accounts are for adults aged 18 or over, and we verify identity before a first payout. If children share your device, use parental control software and never store the password where it can be found. An account opened by a minor is closed and its balance voided, which is a poor outcome for everybody involved. Filtering tools such as Net Nanny and Qustodio block gambling sites at the device level, and they are worth the ten minutes it takes to install one on a shared tablet.