Safer Gambling
Gambling can be a fun activity played with friends. There is little harm in gambling occasionally (once a month) and with a small amount of money you can afford to lose ($20).
Gambling becomes harmful when someone is spending more money, or time than they want or can afford gambling.
To make sure your gambling is safe:
Do not see gambling as a way to make money. The games are designed to make money for the business only.
If you choose to gamble, choose a legitimate venue. Do not play any online casino games or at unregulated venues. To find out which venues and online sites are regulated in Australia see check if a gambling operator is legal.
If you choose to gamble with an unregulated organisation, they may not give you your winnings or may scam you. The police or bank cannot help you in these situations.
It is safer to gamble at a casino than to use online casino games.
Buy food, rent, power, petrol and other essentials like medical costs first. Set aside a small amount of left over money to be ‘gambling money’. If you do not have money left over after buying essentials, you cannot afford to gamble.
Set time limits for how long you will gamble for. Tell someone else to hold you accountable if you need. If you cannot stop gambling when you want to, that is a sign your gambling is unhealthy.
Do not gamble to escape stress, worry or issues in your life. Find healthy alternatives such as sport, hobbies or talking to family and friends. You are more likely to experience harm from gambling if you are using it to escape negative emotions.
Never borrow money to gamble. Even if you think you will win it back quickly. If you do not have left over money after paying for essentials (food, power, rent), you cannot afford to gamble.
Don’t chase your losses. Leave and walk away. Gambling games are random and you cannot predict the outcome.
Remember, your odds of winning are extremely low—see the real odds of winning when gambling.
