Victoria – Gambler’s Help
Gambler’s Help assists Victorians to successfully take control of their gambling. We support people experiencing problems from their own gambling, or from someone else’s gambling.
All Gambler's Help services are 100% free.
Gambler’s Help services are provided by a range of community organisations across metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria. Services include online, telephone and face-to-face counselling, advice and information. There are also services tailored for First Nations communities, and in-language support for at-risk culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Call 1800 858 858 – 24/7 for immediate support or to book a free and confidential session
Why not let us call you? It’s free and confidential. Request a call back now.
Gambler’s Help Youthline
Support for people under 25 who are worried about their own or someone else’s gambling is available via Gambler’s Help Youthline. Call 1800 262 376 for advice and support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's anonymous, confidential and free.
Help in languages other than English
If English is not your first language, support is available for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
I’d prefer an Aboriginal service
If you are worried about gambling talk to someone you trust about your worries. Some First Nations organisations have gambling workers you can yarn with.
What kind of support are you looking for?
For immediate, professional advice and support or to book a counselling session, call anytime on 1800 858 858.
Our therapeutic counsellors provide free one-on-one support with sessions that are tailored to you. They’ll help change the way you think about gambling, so you’ll be more in control.
Sessions include:
- Understanding gambling triggers, addiction and why you gamble
- Strategies to help you resist urges to gamble
- Family counselling and planning sessions
Benefits of counselling:
- Strategies to manage cravings and stress
- New behaviours and thought patterns to support healthier habits
- Improved social and emotional wellbeing
- Help with rebuilding relationships
- Building a support network
Get the techniques and ongoing support to reduce your gambling or overcome the urges for good. Start by booking a free appointment with one of our counsellors. What have you got to lose?
Gambler’s Help counselling services also extend to the family and friends of those who gamble.
Gambler's Help services are available in over 100 locations across Victoria.
TO FIND A LOCAL SERVICE NEAR YOU, USE THE SERVICE FINDER
WHY NOT LET US CALL YOU. IT’S FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL. REQUEST A CALL BACK NOW
If you’re worried about money, the good news is you’re not alone. Gamblers Help financial counsellors understand the financial issues you are facing and can help improve your situation.
Financial counselling is a free and confidential service offered to people who are experiencing any of the following:
- money problems due to gambling
- trouble keeping up with bills and other commitments
- contact from debt collectors
- eviction
- tax debt
- utility disconnection
- default notices
How can a financial counsellor help me?
Financial counsellors are skilled professionals who can:
- help you to assess, consolidate and manage debt
- work with you to set financial goals and create a budget
- negotiate with creditors on your behalf about repayment arrangements
- check if you’re eligible for government support
- help you apply for hardship variations on existing loans
- explain the risks of bankruptcy or accessing your super early and guide you through the alternatives available
To have a plan, along with the professional support to see it through, can be a great relief.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by money worries, please book a session with one of Gamblers Help financial counsellors as soon as possible. If you get help early, you will have many more options.
GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FINANCIAL COUNSELLING
Gambler's Help services are available in over 100 locations across Australia.
Why not let us call you? It's free and confidential. Request a callback now.
Self-exclusion is a free program where you ban yourself from gaming venues or online gambling. Gambler's Help can help you with this, and so can the venues.
You can ban yourself from venues like clubs, pubs or TABs, or from placing a bet on gambling websites. By law, Australian gambling providers must give customers the option to self-exclude from their venue or products.
How does self-exclusion work?
There are different self-exclusion programs across Australia, but they work in similar ways. In most programs:
- You choose which venues, casinos or websites to be excluded from.
- You sign a deed listing the venues you agree not to go into for a minimum period.
- If venue staff see you in the gaming area of the venue, they will report you to the program and ask you to leave.
- At the end of the agreed period of the deed, you can choose to self-exclude for another period or apply to have your gambling account re-opened or to be able to enter the gaming area of a venue.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SELF-EXCLUSION
BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register™
BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register is a free national service to exclude yourself from all Australian-licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step. Find out more about BetStop - the National Self-Exclusion Register or contact Gambler's Help Victoria if you’d like our assistance to register.
Peer Connection and Chinese Peer Connection are free, confidential and easy to access telephone peer support services for people struggling to stop/control their gambling, and for people impacted by another person’s gambling.
All Gamblers Help peer support volunteers have experienced gambling harm themselves and can share their own stories of harm, hope and recovery.
Sometimes speaking with a person who has ‘been there done that’ can be helpful for your own recovery, especially when it’s difficult to talk to others about it.
Support for Victorians from migrant, refugee, and multicultural communities is provided by Settlement Services International (SSI). Their Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Service offers a range of free, in-language services for individuals and families experiencing negative effects from gambling.
If you or someone you know is experiencing negative effects from gambling, call SSI’s Multicultural Gambling Harm Prevention Services on 1800 329 192 or email [email protected].
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SSI'S MULTICULTURAL SUPPORT
In-Language Gambler’s Help Service
Gambler's Help provides a range of free and confidential services and support in English, Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese.
If you speak a language not listed here, your local Gambler's Help service may have a counsellor who speaks your language. Call 1800 858 858 to arrange a free interpreter.
