Preparing to stop gambling

Setting short-term and long-term goals may help you to stay focussed and clear about giving-up your gambling.

Using the Reset app is a whole program designed to set your goals and keep them.

This manual lets you work through understanding and getting control of your gambling in your own way and at your own pace. Using it you can do a self-assessment, and then set goals. It includes exercises to help you achieve and maintain your goals.

Help yourself: a self-help guide to overcoming gambling problems

Consider these tips for managing your money to help you stop or cut back on gambling.

Use these services to remove access to gambling

High-risk situations like use of credit cards, taking out loans, carrying large amounts of money with you, socialising in gaming venues or gambling as a reaction to emotions will make it difficult to control or stop your gambling.

Talking about gambling with somebody you trust and someone who won't judge you can ease the pain of bottling it up. It can also reduce the stress that can cause you to continue to gamble.

There is no doubt that if you have help from your spouse and close friends you are more likely to succeed. Make an effort to explain your problem to people close to you.

Once you can admit that you have a problem and may have hurt them, they will be barracking for you.

If you are finding it difficult, you do not have to handle your issue with gambling on your own. A support person makes it easier, especially if you're experiencing harm caused by gambling.

This person might be a spouse, parent, friend or counsellor. Many people seek professional help.

Gambler's Help has free, confidential help, advice and support services available 24/7. Call 1800 858 858.

Some people may spend 10–20 hours or more a week gambling. They also spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about their gambling. Many people also start gambling in the first place because they don’t know what else to do. Try to find an alternative recreational activity or hobby to fill the gap.

There are lots of ways to do this:

• Plan ahead
• Reconnect with family and friends if you have neglected them while gambling
• Take another part-time job
• If you are a lunch-time gambler, go somewhere different with workmates, arrange to meet someone, take a sandwich and read a book, go for a walk or a jog
• Take up a hobby or a sport
• Set short-term and long-term goals
• Look at other things you can do to ‘treat' yourself
• Make your home an interesting place to be in, with interesting things to do
• Return to other things you enjoyed before you started to gamble too much

Peer Connection is a free, confidential and easy-to-access telephone support service for people struggling to stop/control their gambling and for people impacted by another person’s gambling.

All our peer support volunteers have experienced gambling harm themselves and can share their own stories of hope and recovery.

Sometimes speaking with a person who has ‘been there done that’ can be helpful for your own recovery, especially when it’s difficult to talk to others about it.

Find out more about Peer Connection.

Self-exclusion is a free program where you ban yourself from gaming venues and/or online gambling.

Read more about Self-exclusion.

Unsubscribe or Opt-out

Opt-out of gambling company marketing messages, such as special offers and other inducements by turning off your gambling app notifications in your phone or internet browser settings.

You can also unsubscribe from emails using the small ‘unsubscribe’ link usually found at the bottom of emails.