Managing your online gambling

In the ACT, a recent survey showed that one in five adults had gambled online in the last year. As in other states and territories, online gambling has been increasing in the ACT over recent years – the number of people gambling online has more than doubled over five years.

If you find yourself spending more time or money betting online than you'd like to, there are options to help you manage your activities.

Self-exclusion from online and phone gambling providers

With the introduction of BetStop (an Australian Government initiative) in 2023, you can now self-exclude from all Australian-licensed interactive wagering (online and phone gambling) services.

If you are registered with BetStop, online and phone gambling providers will not be able to:

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

Visit the BetStop website for more information. You can also learn about self-excluding from ACT licensed gambling venues from our Excluding from Gambling webpage.

Setting limits to keep on track

If you want to retain access to online gambling, you can contact your online betting provider to request that they assist you in managing your activities. You can ask your provider to:

• set a limit, of your choosing, on how much money you can
  • deposit into your account
  • retain in your account
  • place on each bet, as a maximum.
• deactivate your betting account at regular intervals, of your choosing, to ensure you have short breaks and avoid losing track of time.

You can also

• opt-out of marketing messages, such as special offers and other inducements, by turning off phone notifications in the gambling apps/websites you use and in your phone and browser settings
• block gambling transactions on your credit and/or debit cards and seek assistance from your bank or financial institution if you experience hardship
• do your homework before opening an online betting account. Block overseas websites and apps, which do not abide by the consumer protection regulations that apply in Australia. Or, if you’ve already opened an overseas account, try to close it, block payments, and install ad blockers to stop ads and pop-ups, as well as geo-filters that block international gambling sites.

If you need assistance with any of these options or think you might benefit from talking to someone, there are many ways to get information and support. Visit our Gambling Help webpages for more information.

We thank the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation for information incorporated into this webpage.