Responsible Gambling
If you need help now
Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858 or gamblinghelponline.org.au. Free, confidential, 24 hours a day, anywhere in Australia. Phone counselling, online chat and email support.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 if you are in crisis.
Signs that pokies have stopped being a choice
- Spending more than you decided to before you started.
- Depositing to chase a loss, or to “get back” a bonus.
- Hiding play, or the amount spent, from people close to you.
- Borrowing, or using money set aside for bills, to deposit.
- Feeling restless or low when not playing.
- Playing on a phone in bed, at work or during time meant for something else.
Two or more of these is a reason to talk to someone, not a diagnosis. Gambling Help Online counsellors deal with exactly this every day.
Tools you control
Deposit limits. Some operators let you set a daily or weekly deposit limit in the account settings. Set it when you sign up, before a session, not during one. If a site does not offer limits, treat that as a mark against it.
Self-exclusion at the operator. Every operator on this site offers account closure through live chat. Ask for a permanent closure and for the account not to be reopened on request.
Bank gambling blocks. Most Australian banks can block card payments to gambling merchants and, at some banks, transfers to known gambling accounts. Blocks have a cooling-off period, which is the point.
BetStop. The national self-exclusion register (betstop.gov.au) covers licensed Australian online wagering. It does not cover the offshore sites listed here, but if you also use licensed betting, register.
Blocking software. Gamban and BetBlocker block gambling sites on a phone or computer.
The legal position
The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it an offence for an operator to provide online casino services, including pokies, to people in Australia. It does not make it an offence for an individual to play. The sites on AusRoo are licensed offshore and operate outside Australian consumer protection; disputes are resolved with the operator, not with an Australian regulator. That is one more reason to deposit small and withdraw early.
How AusRoo approaches this
Every page carries the Gambling Help Online number and an 18+ notice. We do not run promotions of our own, do not send marketing email, and do not describe pokies as a way to make money. If you think any content on this site encourages harmful play, tell us.
Frequently Asked
Is Gambling Help Online free?
Yes. The phone line (1800 858 858) and online chat are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, everywhere in Australia.
Does BetStop cover offshore pokies sites?
No. BetStop is the national self-exclusion register for licensed Australian wagering services. Offshore casino sites are not part of it; use the operator's own self-exclusion and your bank's gambling block instead.
Can my bank block gambling transactions?
Most Australian banks offer a gambling block on cards and, increasingly, on transfers to known gambling merchants. Ask your bank; the block usually has a cooling-off period before it can be removed.