Problem Gambling

Problem Gambling If you think you might have a gambling problem, contact Gambling Anonymous or take their test to see how you're doing.

10 signs that you might have a gambling problem

You put gambling before more important things

Gambling addicts allow their need to gamble to take priority over everything else in their lives. Your son has a footie game? Or is in a school play? Your daughter's just won an award? It's your 25th wedding anniversary? You'll be in the casino.
You gamble with money you can't afford to lose

What do pathological gamblers do when gambling pulls them into financial hell? They'll take money anywhere they can get it. That includes friends, family, co-workers, strangers. They might even ask people to pay their gambling debts for them, or max out their credit card, or take out a second mortgage.
You can't stop gambling

This one is pretty self-explanatory. When you can't stop gambling, you most likely realise deep down that you have a problem. You find yourself daydreaming in work about the last time you gambled, or the next time you'll log on to that site.
Being obsessed with gambling

Gambling is all that's in your head day or night, and suddenly everything that people around you are talking about is relatable to gambling.
It's not just about the fun anymore

Recreational gamblers play for the exhilaration and to spend a few dollars having a good time with their friends. Problem gamblers place bets for other reasons than this. Sometimes they're using gambling as a solution to a problem it can't possibly solve. Anxiety, for example, or career problems, or a relationship downturn. Remember that whatever issues you face, gambling isn't the solution.
You're chasing your losses

Some gamblers say they are just trying to win back the money they have lost. They promise that once they hit the big time, they will stop. They'll say that they lost the last time because they decided to change strategies or because it just wasn't their lucky day.
You gamble with more and more money

Like many addictions, a gambling addiction starts small. You won't be crashing into your problem gambling by taking out a second mortgage and lying to your wife all at once. But that's the thing with this kind of gambling. It's a problem. You won't be content with not gambling every weekend or with keeping the stakes low. You're going to need more and more.
You'll do anything to get your hands on some cash

Pathological gamblers don't stop gambling when their bank account gets shut down. While their hunt for money might stop with borrowing, some problem gamblers resort to robbery, counterfeiting, or other crimes to feed their habit.
Gambling negatively affects your emotions

While gambling can be great fun, addicts might experience negative emotions connected with it as well. These emotions can include:
- Irritation when you've tried to quit and failed
- Feelings of remorse or guilt about gambling
- A decrease in career or relationship ambition
- An urge to celebrate any kind of event - birthdays, Fridays - by gambling
Hiding your gambling behaviour

People who have gambling problems generally try to hide it from the people around them. They start lying to their spouses, families, co-workers, and friends, and sometimes it can spiral out of control, ending in work termination or divorce.

Ways to combat problem gambling

Self-exclusion in land-based casinos

land-based casino self-exclusion Self Exclusion is a wholly voluntary process. It's as simple as realising you have a gambling problem and then promising yourself that you won't head off into dangerous territory. It is an agreement the individual makes with themselves, for themselves. Although the venue operator is not legally obliged to enforce the Self Exclusion Program, their endorsement demonstrates a concern for patrons' wellbeing.

Some aspects or requirements of the different self-exclusion programmes might vary from casino to casino or territory to territory, but nevertheless, self-exclusion is a service offered in all Australian jurisdictions. For details on the major programmes offered, check out the Australasian Gambling Council.

Self-exclusion online

self-exclusion online Further information about self-exclusion programmes offered in different gambling websites and land-based casinos are offered on their websites and at their information desks. In many cases you can either download or ask in person for a self-exclusion application form. If you are interested in having a look some examples with links are provided below:

Online blackjack casinos are fighting the good fight

Online blackjack casinos are better with dealing with problem gambling just because everything is more easily monitored online. In order to gamble on an online casino, you'll have to have an account and log in, and it's far easier to ban someone with an actual, identifiable account than it is to collar someone as they walk through the door.

Support Resources

If you feel like you need help, there are various organisations out there to help you: