Protecting your assets

Carrying cash is one main factor that can tempt people to gamble. Limiting and controlling your access to cash is an effective safeguard against the urge to gamble.

Some ways to do this are:

• Carry only enough cash on you to cover your daily expenses.
• Leave credit cards and bank cards at home.
• Organise a low daily withdrawal limit on your bank account and cancel cash withdrawals on your credit card.
• Have a bank card rather than a credit card.
• Organise wages to be paid into a separate account from which funds need to be transferred before you access them.
• Tell family and friends and ask them not to loan you money.
• Ask someone you trust to hold money for you. For example, have a friend or spouse collect your wages.
• Pay bills by direct debit or cheque, or ask someone to pay bills for you.

There are things you can do to protect your assets, including:

• Transferring the title of your assets into your partner's name.
• Altering your credit record by adjusting it to 'no more credit'.
• Seeking legal advice in regards to placing a caveat on your property.
• Storing assets/valuables so you cannot pawn them.

• Organise regular bill payments that are debited from your bank account.
• Talk to a financial counsellor about consolidating debt or organising an agreement with debtors if you are overwhelmed by managing your debts.
• Plan a weekly budget that involves strict repayments of your debts and stick to it. 
• Find out more about financial counselling
• To find out where your closest financial counsellor is speak to an online counsellor now.

For help with managing your money you can:

• Use our gambling calculator to work out how much you are spending
• Talk to someone about maintaining financial control