Are you worried about your gambling?
Do you suspect that gambling is affecting your life, but don’t know whether it has become a problem?
If you’re someone who gambles regularly, it can be easy to lose track of how much money and time you’re spending on it. You may be starting to suspect that gambling causing harm, but you’re not quite sure if it really is. It’s important to take a step back and consider whether your gambling is getting out of control. It may help to look for the signs of a problem. Recognising the signs can help you find out if you’re at risk and decide on the best course of action to take next.
Are you worried about your family members or friend’s gambling?
Are you worried that a family member or friend is experiencing harm from their gambling, but not sure what signs to look for? Have you noticed some changes in their behaviour, mood or finances, but aren’t sure whether you should be concerned?
It can be hard to know if someone is struggling with gambling, especially if they’re trying to hide it. It can be easy for people to hide their gambling from other people in their lives.
It may be helpful to look for the signs of a problem. By looking for certain behaviours or changes in their mood or financial situation, you can determine if the person you care about is at risk of gambling harm. Recognising the signs can help you find the best way to support them and get them the help they need.
Are you worried about someone’s gambling?
Professionals, such as doctors, counsellors and support workers, often come across people who are having issues with their gambling. They are in a good position to identify and help people who are experiencing harm from their gambling.
It can be hard to know if someone is struggling with gambling, especially if they’re trying to hide it. It can be easy for people to hide their gambling from other people in their lives.
It may be helpful to first look for the signs of a problem. By looking for certain behaviours or changes in their mood or financial situation, you can determine if the person you care about is at risk of gambling harm. Recognising the signs can help you decide the best action to take, which could include starting a conversation with them or using a screening tool to help identify the severity of the issue. As a professional, working out if someone you’re working with has an issue with their gambling can help you find the best way to support them and get them the help they need.
What is problem gambling?
Gambling involves risking something of value, like money or possessions, on the outcome of an activity involving chance. Most people who gamble do so without any issues but gambling can become a problem for some people.
Australia has adopted a national definition of problem gambling:
Problem gambling is characterised by difficulties in limiting money and/or time spent on gambling which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, others, or for the community.
People with gambling problems often have trouble controlling their gambling and will continue to gamble, even when it is causing harm to themselves or the people they care about.
What is the continuum of gambling?
Gambling problems take place on a continuum or a spectrum, with different levels of severity. People can move back and forth along this continuum at different times in their lives, depending on a number of factors. Below are the different categories on this continuum, which are used by a screening tool called the Problem Gambling Severity Index. This tool, which assesses the frequency and severity of gambling-related problems in the past 12 months, can be found in our Quiz. It was used in the most recent national gambling study to determine how many people fit into each of these categories.
People who don’t gamble. This is about 43% of adults in Australia.
People who gamble but don’t have any negative consequences. This is about 46% of adults in Australia, which is about 8 in 10 people who gamble.
People who experience a low level of problems with no or few negative consequences. For example, they may occasionally spend over their limit or feel guilty about their gambling. About 6.6% of adults in Australia gamble at this level, which is about 12 in every 100 people who gamble.
People who experience a moderate level of problems leading to some negative consequences. For example, they may sometimes spend more than they can afford, lose track of time or feel guilty about their gambling. About 3.1% of adults in Australia gamble at this level, which is about 6 in every 100 people who gamble.
People who gamble with negative consequences and a possible loss of control. For example, they may often spend over their limit, gamble to win back money and feel stressed about their gambling. About 1.2% of adults in Australia gamble at this level, which is about 2 in every 100 people who gamble.
What are the chances of developing a problem?
People who gamble more often have a higher risk of developing a problem with gambling. Take a look at how the chances of having an issue increase as people gamble more often (other than on the lottery). If you:
- don’t gamble at all: No chance at all
- only gamble occasionally: 1 in 50 chance
- gamble weekly or more: 1 in 7 chance
What are the signs of a problem?
Signs of a problem with gambling include:
- Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement
- Becoming restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling
- Making repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling
- Often thinking about gambling – like reliving past gambling, planning future gambling or ways to get money to gamble
- Often gambling when feeling distressed – like feeling helpless, guilty, worried, or depressed
- Often gambling to try to win back the money that has been lost – this is called chasing losses
- Lying to hide gambling
- Risking or losing a close relationship, a job, or a school or work opportunity because of gambling
- Relying on other people to help with money problems caused by gambling
When someone displays one or some of these signs, they may be experiencing problems with gambling.
“I just could not stop gambling, it was a really strong compulsion. I really believed I would win big one day and fix all the problems and debts I had caused my family. I just had to keep trying. I did this for years but it was terrible with ups and downs constantly draining me of all my energy.” – Sam, Financial counselling client
What are some other signs to look out for?
There are many other signs that might indicate that you’re developing a problem with gambling. You may have noticed changes in your behaviour, mood, relationships, finances, or work. Problems with gambling can affect all parts of your life. Look out for these signs:
- Gambling longer than you planned to
- Gambling affecting your sleep, eating or health
- Claiming to win money gambling when you actually lost
- Thinking that you would like to stop gambling but don’t think you actually could
- Gambling feels more important than anything else you do
- Having strong or frequent urges to gamble
- Gambling taking priority over other things in your life
- Feeling down, worried or stressed because of gambling
- Feeling guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble
- Arguing with family members or friends about money or gambling
- Other people commenting on, or criticising, your gambling
- Spending less time with family members and friends because of gambling
- Gambling more money than you planned to
- Betting more than you can really afford to lose
- Borrowing money to gamble or pay gambling debts
- Having financial problems because of gambling
- Selling your possessions to gamble
- Finding it harder to make money last from one payday to the next because of gambling
- Trying to win money to pay debts
- Taking money that doesn’t belong to you from family members, friends, or anyone else, to pay for your gambling
- Taking time out from work or school because of gambling
- Being unable to concentrate on work because of gambling
What are some other signs to look out for?
There are many other signs that might indicate that your family member or friend has a problem with gambling. You may have noticed changes in their behaviour, mood, relationships, finances, or work. Problems with gambling can affect all parts of people’s lives. Look out for these signs:
- Being less involved in hobbies or recreational activities
- Using alcohol or drugs more often
- Constantly checking their phone
- Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
- Disappearing from home for long periods of time
- Taking longer than usual for simple tasks
- Refusing to talk about where they have spent their time
- Spending less time on sports or hobbies
- Always talking about gambling
- Talking about sport in terms of odds
- Being less concerned about personal appearance, self-care or hygiene
- Reporting feeling tired or run down
- Having health problems – like headaches or stomach problems
- Seeming worried, distant, withdrawn or preoccupied
- Getting angry, irritable, frustrated, defensive or upset easily
- Reporting feeling hopeless, depressed, or suicidal
- Appearing down, moody, flat or unmotivated
- Arguing with family and friends about money
- Losing interest in spending time with family and friends
- Spending less time with family and friends
- Turning up late, failing to attend, or cancelling appointments or social events
- Controlling or manipulating other people
- Relying on others to pay for them in social situations
- Missing money from bank accounts or wallets
- Missing household items and valuables
- Regularly short of money even though they have a job
- Regularly asking to borrow money
- Juggling multiple loans or credit cards
- Being secretive about bills, bank statements or payslips
- Having unpaid bills or disconnection notices
- Having secret bank accounts, loans, or credit cards
- Lacking essentials like food
- Building up debts they can’t pay
- Being reluctant to talk about their finances
- Selling their possessions without explaining why
- Cashing in savings accounts, superannuation or insurance plans
- Having form guides or sporting pages on their desk
- Being on betting websites often
- Arriving to work late or leaving early
- Taking long lunch hours
- Often being late with work commitments
- Taking many sick days
- Having a predictable pattern to their sick leave
- Not being as productive at work
- Overusing the work phone or internet
- Borrowing money from workmates
- Asking for salary advances
- Volunteering for overtime or additional shifts
- Working back late out of ordinary hours
- Organising staff pools or syndicates
What are some other signs to look out for?
There are many other signs that might indicate that the person you’re supporting has a problem with gambling. They may have mentioned gambling when you were talking about other issues. Or loved ones may have noticed changes in their behaviour, mood, relationships, finances, or work. Problems with gambling can affect all parts of people’s lives. Look out for these signs:
- Being less involved in hobbies or recreational activities
- Using alcohol or drugs more often
- Constantly checking their phone
- Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
- Disappearing from home for long periods of time
- Taking longer than usual for simple tasks
- Refusing to talk about where they have spent their time
- Spending less time on sports or hobbies
- Always talking about gambling
- Talking about sport in terms of odds
- Being less concerned about personal appearance, self-care or hygiene
- Reporting feeling tired or run down
- Having health problems – like headaches or stomach problems
- Seeming worried, distant, withdrawn or preoccupied
- Getting angry, irritable, frustrated, defensive or upset easily
- Reporting feeling hopeless, depressed, or suicidal
- Appearing down, moody, flat or unmotivated
- Arguing with family and friends about money
- Losing interest in spending time with family and friends
- Spending less time with family and friends
- Turning up late, failing to attend, or cancelling appointments or social events
- Controlling or manipulating other people
- Relying on others to pay for them in social situations
- Missing money from bank accounts or wallets
- Missing household items and valuables
- Regularly short of money even though they have a job
- Regularly asking to borrow money
- Juggling multiple loans or credit cards
- Being secretive about bills, bank statements or payslips
- Having unpaid bills or disconnection notices
- Having secret bank accounts, loans, or credit cards
- Lacking essentials like food
- Building up debts they can’t pay
- Being reluctant to talk about their finances
- Selling their possessions without explaining why
- Cashing in savings accounts, superannuation or insurance plans
- Having form guides or sporting pages on their desk
- Being on betting websites often
- Arriving to work late or leaving early
- Taking long lunch hours
- Often being late with work commitments
- Taking many sick days
- Having a predictable pattern to their sick leave
- Not being as productive at work
- Overusing the work phone or internet
- Borrowing money from workmates
- Asking for salary advances
- Volunteering for overtime or additional shifts
- Working back late out of ordinary hours
- Organising staff pools or syndicates
Still not sure? Take the Quiz to see if you might have a problem.
If you are showing one of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re having issues with your gambling. But if you’re showing a few signs, you might have an issue.
It can be difficult realising that you might have an issue with your gambling and it’s normal to feel upset about it.
It’s important to know that there are free services and support to help you get the situation under control.
“Gambling was fun and I enjoyed it, I had no idea my gambling was getting out of hand.
My wife showed me the monthly bank statement and I was shocked. Each pay day there were up to 10 transactions where I took out money to gamble. Over a month that added up.” – Don
Do you want more help?
To find out more about signs of a problem, you can start an online chat with us or call the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 – free, confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These services are available to support anyone affected by gambling harm, including family members or friends.
Still not sure? You could ask your family member or friend to take the Quiz to see if they might have a problem.
If your family member or friend is showing one of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are having issues with their gambling. There may be other things going on in their life. But if they’re showing a few signs, they might have an issue. It might be time to have a conversation with them.
It can be tough to find out that a family member or friend is struggling with their gambling and it’s normal to feel hurt, angry, or betrayed. It may also be a relief to finally understand what’s going on. Before talking to your family member or friend, it’s a good idea to take some time to figure out a plan. Take a look at our information about how to go about doing this in Starting the Conversation.
Do you want more help?
To find out more about signs of a problem, you or your family member or friend can start an online chat with us or call the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 – free, confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These services are available to support anyone affected by gambling harm, including family members or friends like you. It’s not only the person who gambles that can be affected, but the people close to them too. It’s important to take care of yourself when you’re supporting someone else. Check out the family and friends section in our peer support community to connect with people who understand.
If the person you’re working with is showing one of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are having issues with their gambling. There may be other things going on in their life. But if they’re showing a few signs, they might have an issue.
As a professional, you can play an important role in helping them. If they are showing signs of a problem, it might be time to initiate a conversation with them and possibly ask them to take our Quiz to help identify the severity of the issue. Take a look at our information about how professionals can do this in Identifying gambling harm.
Understanding whether the person you’re working with has an issue with their gambling and the severity of that issue can help you determine the best course of action. As a professional, you may be in a good position to educate them about the harmful effects of their gambling, provide practical steps they can take to help themselves, and connect them to gambling support services. See our section on How Professionals can Help for some specific ways you can help. With your support and guidance, they can regain control over their gambling.
Do you want more help?
To find out more about signs of a problem, you or the person you’re working with can start an online chat with us or call the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 – free, confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These services are available to support anyone affected by gambling harm, including family members, friends, and professionals like you. It can be hard for professionals to support people with gambling issues. To learn more about how you can help, go to our section on How Professionals Can Help.
