Online pokies are entertainment. They are not a way to make money, pay debts, or recover losses. The vast majority of players enjoy a session, set a budget, and walk away. For a smaller number, gambling becomes a problem. This page exists to help you spot warning signs early, use the tools available to stay in control, and find professional support if you need it.
Every pokie is built around a Return to Player (RTP) percentage. A 96% RTP means that, over millions of spins, the game pays back 96% of what is wagered. The other 4% is the house edge. The house always wins over time. Individual sessions can produce big wins, but those wins are the variance, not the trend. Treating gambling as anything other than paid entertainment will, statistically, end badly.
Problem gambling rarely arrives in one sudden moment. It builds gradually. The signs to watch for:
If two or more of these apply, it's worth pausing and reaching out for support. The earlier the better.
The operators we list all provide a standard set of responsible gambling tools. You don't need to wait for a problem to use them — using them proactively is the smartest move you can make.
Set a daily, weekly or monthly cap on how much you can deposit. Once the cap is hit, the operator's system blocks further deposits until the period resets. Increases to the limit usually involve a cooling-off period before they take effect.
Set a cap on net losses in a given period. Once you've lost the capped amount, you can't keep playing until the period resets.
Cap the total amount you can wager (rather than deposit) in a given period.
Set a session duration after which the system prompts you with a reminder of how long you've been playing and how much you've spent. Useful for breaking the loss-of-time-awareness that long sessions create.
A short-term self-imposed break of 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days. Your account is locked from gambling activity for the chosen duration. Withdrawals are still possible.
A longer block — typically six months, one year, five years, or permanent. Your account is closed to gambling activity for the chosen period. Self-exclusion is binding and cannot be reversed before the period ends.
Australia also operates BetStop, a free national self-exclusion register for licensed Australian wagering operators (sports betting and racing). BetStop blocks you across all participating Australian-licensed sites at once. Register at betstop.gov.au. Note that BetStop applies to domestic operators only — it does not cover offshore casinos.
All services below are free, confidential, and available 24/7 unless otherwise noted.
If a family member or friend has a gambling problem, the same services above offer support for affected family members and friends. You don't need to wait for the person gambling to ask for help. Reaching out to a counsellor for your own guidance is a legitimate first step.
Online gambling is strictly for adults aged 18 or over. We do not target minors and do not allow any underage content on this Site. If you are responsible for a young person who may be using your devices, parental control tools are available in most operating systems, and content filters such as Net Nanny, Qustodio, and Microsoft Family Safety can block access to gambling-related content.
Asking for help is not weakness. It's the smartest possible thing you can do, and the earlier you do it, the easier the path back.