You can gamble online any time and anywhere - at home, at work,
on your phone when you're out.
Gambling this way might feel more comfortable and less risky
than gambling at a venue. But the fact is, it can be just as easy
to spend more time and money than planned.
Even if you only gamble what you can afford, online gambling can
affect other parts of your life. Unknowingly, the time spent
gambling online can affect your job, your personal relationships
with friends and family, and even your health.
Losing track
It is easy to "zone out" when gambling online. After a while,
time and money are gone and we don't really remember how it
happened.
Betting with credit or a linked account instead of actual cash
can make it feel less real - like it's not even really money we're
gambling with.
Being alone means there is no-one to talk down a bigger bet, to
remind us to slow down or take a break, to support us after a
loss.
Tips for avoiding problems
- Set a limit for yourself on how much you will spend
- Calculate how long you had to work to earn that money
- Use a site that has limits on daily spend
- Limit where you bet, don't have multiple accounts
- Use a debit card instead of a credit card - this will help you
see that it is your income you are spending
- Check your player history on the sites you use and/or your bank
and credit card statements to keep a clear idea of how much you are
spending
- Read the fine print on marketing promotions like 'free
bets'
- And remember, like any form of gambling, online poker, betting
and sports wagering is not a good way to make money.
Practice sites
Some sites offer free games so that people can 'practice'. Be
aware that the odds on 'practice' games are much
better - so it is easier to win than on the paid games.
When winning at the practice games don't expect to have the same
results in the paid games.
Offers and promotions
Because what you do on websites can be seen and tracked by the
website owners - how often you visit, what you spend, how your
gambling patterns may change - they can use this information to
market to you very effectively. They can send you bonuses and
offers to keep you gambling and promotions to come back to their
site if you haven't bet in a while.
How problems develop
- Just filling free time with gambling
- Continually adding money to one or more online accounts,
without making withdrawals
- A few small bets here and there and then one day it just
snowballs
- Having a win from that first bet and thinking that it's easy
money
- Having an urge to try and get money back
- Betting without caring about the outcome
- Winning and then spending it all very quickly
Signs of a problem
- Disrupted, or not enough, sleep
- Debts starting to mount up
- Not being able to pay bills
- Bigger bets placed to get the same feeling
- Betting when you normally wouldn't, like during lunch
breaks
- Missing school or work
- Thinking about gambling, when doing other things
What you can do if you have a
problem?
- Block yourself from receiving free offers, incentives and other
marketing materials from gambling sites.
- Most reputable sites offer self-exclusion
programs
- Block gambling sites from your computer - you can do this
yourself or install software that filters out gambling websites.
Asking a trusted support person to set this up for you will help
you avoid the temptation to remove the filter
- Take betting apps off your phone
- Get help (link to that section)
How do you know a site is safe?
Wagering and sports betting is legal in Australia.
Australians can bet at off shore casinos but it's illegal to
provide a casino from Australia.
If you gamble at an offshore site there are fewer regulations
and safeguards.
People have won money at off shore sites only to find that their
stake was stolen, they never saw their winnings and the site has
been shut down.
Go to sites that have some accreditation. This might be from
eCOGRA who check the integrity of the provider.
Your questions
If I use the betting exchange agencies won't I have a better
chance of winning?
The bottom line is that over the long run the operator is always
going to win and the punter is always going to lose. Betting
exchanges can seem like a good deal. They take a commission on wins
and are set up so that punters are betting against each other. But
someone always has to lose for every win. Whether you win or lose
you are still paying the betting exchange money. That's how they
are successful.
I'm the best poker player that I know, I see people on tv
making lots of money playing poker professionally, couldn't that be
me?
It is true that there is a strong element of skill in poker and
some people can manage to play professionally and routinely come
out ahead. Professional poker players play online in a very
controlled manner and they do not chase their losses or bet more
than they can afford. When playing online you are in competition
with millions of players around the world who are waiting to take
someone else's money. For someone to win, others have to
lose. Even if you do play with perfect strategy, the cards
are still chance and even the best players can and do lose.
I want to fix the problem by myself, how can a counsellor
help?
A counsellor can be a great support at helping you get motivated
to stay on track. They won't judge you or tell you what to do but
they will help you work out whether you need to make a change. They
can also help with some strategies to quit or cut down and provide
some tips for getting through the first few days when the urge is
strongest.