Help Yourself

There are things you can do to control your gambling yourself.

Here are some simple tips to follow:

• Set a budget and stick to it. Gamble for the fun of it, not to make money.
• Limit your gambling time. Find some new hobbies to fill in your time.
• Socialise in places without gambling.
• Don't take your ATM card with you when planning on gambling.
• Ask your bank to lower the amount of money you can access each day with your ATM card.
• Don't chase your losses, walk away.
• Take frequent breaks.
• Plan on doing things with friends and family at times you would usually gamble.
• Take different routes when driving or walking so that you do not pass venues that you find most tempting.
• Don't talk about gambling with other gamblers, talk to someone else that you trust.

Some people find that simple tips are not enough to help them stay in control.

Read all about it!

There are many research papers, books and websites devoted to the issue of problem gambling. The more a person can learn about problem gambling the more they will understand about what problem gambling is, how it affects their life and whether problem gambling has become an issue for them.

Try entering "problem gambling" into your internet search engine and see what pops up. For links to problem gambling websites go to our "Links" page.

Your local library holds some information about problem gambling. They have an online lookup service at http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/search, so you can visit your library and find information quickly.

Some people may find that they need a firmer way of controlling or even stopping their gambling. These people may find it useful to ban themselves from gambling or seek counselling.

Exclusion

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 from gambling if you ask them to or if they feel that gambling has become a problem for you.

For more information about banning yourself from gambling visit our "Exclusion" webpage.

Counselling

Counsellors give people with gambling problems (or any problem, really) guidance and advice about what to do to get themselves back on track.

Visiting a counsellor gives people with gambling problems the opportunity to talk to someone in confidence. Counsellors are qualified to help a person deal with a range of issues that may have resulted from gambling.

There are many counselling services available and some of them provide their services free of charge. Visit our "Help From The Pro's" webpage to find a counselling service that suits you.