Play Safe

An online casino with one wallet across pokies, live tables and sports removes every natural pause. There’s no walk to another room and no closing time. That convenience is the product, and it’s also the reason the limits below matter more here than in a venue.

Limits belong in the profile, set before the first session

WinSpirit carries deposit and loss limits for a day, a week or a month. Lowering one takes effect immediately. Raising one waits 24 hours, which is the whole point of the delay: the version of you that wants a higher limit at midnight is not the version that has to pay for it.

Set the weekly figure rather than the daily one. A daily limit gets topped up seven times and ends up meaning nothing.

Cooling-off and self-exclusion

A 24-hour cooling-off sits in the same menu as the limits. It locks the account and nothing else happens. Longer self-exclusion runs for a set period and cannot be lifted early by asking support nicely, which is the feature rather than the flaw.

Closing the account is a separate action and a weaker one. Withdraw the balance first, because closing with money on it slows the payout, and an account closure is not self-exclusion.

BetStop and blocking software

BetStop is the Australian Government’s national self-exclusion register at betstop.gov.au. One registration blocks every licensed Australian online wagering operator. It does not reach offshore sites, because they fall outside the scheme, so for those use blocking software instead.

Gamban and Net Nanny keep offshore casinos off a device. Install on the phone first. That’s where most unplanned sessions start.

Signs worth taking seriously

• Depositing again after deciding the session was over.
• Raising a limit rather than stopping when you hit it.
• Betting bigger to get back to even.
• Moving money between accounts or borrowing to keep playing.
• Hiding the amount or the frequency from someone close to you.

Where to get help

Gambling Help Online is free, confidential and open 24 hours on 1800 858 858, with chat and email at gamblinghelponline.org.au. The counsellors are trained in gambling specifically.

Lifeline is 13 11 14 for anything urgent involving safety.

National Debt Helpline is 1800 007 007 for free financial counselling. Gambling debt gets treated like any other debt, and there are more options than most people expect.

Partners, parents and friends can call the same lines. A large share of the calls come from people who aren’t the ones gambling.

Eighteen and over

Gambling in Australia is restricted to adults aged 18 and over. WinSpirit verifies identity before the first withdrawal, and an account that can’t be verified can’t be paid out.