Exclusion - ban yourself from gambling!

Did you know that you can ask your club, pub, casino, bookmaker or ACTTAB outlet not to let you gamble?

By law clubs, pubs, casinos, bookmakers and ACTTAB outlets are required to stop you gambling if you ask them to or if they feel that gambling has become a problem for you.

Every gambling place in the ACT has a Gambling Contact Officer who can discuss your gambling with you or give you information about where to get further advice.

Banning yourself from gambling

Most gambling places in the ACT provide details of their Gambling Contact Officer and their contact telephone number by way of a sign at the entrance to a gambling area.

If you are unable to see any such signage in your club, pub, casino or ACTTAB outlet you will need to ask a staff member for the information. Remember, gambling places are required by law to provide you with this information. If you are using a bookmaker or website you should ask them directly or send them an email.

To ban yourself from gambling, get in touch with the Gambling Contact Officer either by telephone or in person. They are required by law to assist you in a confidential and dignified way.

The Gambling Contact Officer will ask you to complete a "Deed of Exclusion". A Deed of Exclusion is a contract between yourself and your gambling place that stops you from entering your club, pub, casino, ACTTAB outlet or using a bookmakers' services for a period of time that is agreed upon by you and your gambling place.

The Deed of Exclusion also allows you to be banned from other gambling places that you might visit regularly.

Once you have signed a Deed of Exclusion the Gambling Contact Officer will give you a copy of the Deed and make sure that you can no longer enter the gambling places you have nominated and that you do not receive any related advertising material.

You may not want to ask for information while you are in your gambling place. Perhaps your gambling place is small and everyone knows what everyone else had for breakfast! If this is the case, you may contact Lifeline who will help you to become banned from a venue at no cost, or you can telephone your gambling place and ask to speak to the Gambling Contact Officer.

You may also complete a Deed of Exclusion yourself prior to speaking to the Gambling Contact Officer at your gambling place. The form is available here.

Being banned by your club, pub, casino, bookmaker or ACTTAB outlet

Your Club, Pub, Casino, Bookmaker or ACTTAB outlet is required by law to ban you from entering their venues or using their products if they think your gambling is affecting your welfare or the welfare of your family, even if you don't want them to.

This kind of ban is called "Exclusion from Gambling by Licensee".

If your gambling place bans you in this way they must give you written reasons for banning you.

If you don't agree with the reasons for being banned, you may ask the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission to review the decision. Contact details for the Commission are listed at the bottom of this page.