Help For Gamblers
For immediate help call 1800 858 858 FREECALL now. There will be someone to answer your call.
Anybody affected by gambling (your own gambling or someone else's), can call the Helpline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This service can give you the contact details for the nearest Gambler's Help or another service away from where you live if you would prefer this. Calls to the Helpline are free.
Gambler's Help is a free service for people who are affected by gambling. The services provided by Gambler's Help include:
- Free, professional, confidential counselling for people for whom gambling is an issue
- Counselling for the family and friends of people for whom gambling is an issue
- Financial counselling to help people with gambling-related money problems
- Community education and helping communities reduce the negative effects of gambling
There are Gambler's Help available throughout Victoria. Professional help can make a real difference.
Find out more about Gambler's Help »
Take Control - Help Yourself »
Concerned about your gambling? Take this quiz to find out if it’s becoming a problem »
Contact details for Gambler's Help services throughout Victoria »
Counsellors and support for gamblers
FREECALL 24 hours, 7 days a week 1800 858 858 for advice, support and help.
Calls to the Helpline are free. You also can call for help and support outside the area where you live.
For the hearing impaired FREECALL 1800 777 706.
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Gambling Help Online provides free and immediate access, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to a qualified gambling counsellor. This service can be accessed from anywhere in Australia, at a time that suits you.
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Comments
This illness, is so sad...
and the tv ads, the phamplets all that really hit home for me, A man I loved dearly and have a family too, has been struggling with this for many many years... after 4 and half years of tough times with it, and many chances, I now this week have had to walk away for the last time. I just cant deal with the hurt and pain it causes. its terrible.
To all gambling. please.. do something, change your life before its too late.
Love U D.S. 4 ever. xoxo
Interesting... I gambled money that I needed to pay home loan, so yeah, it was fun at the time until I lost lots, and then I was angry with myself.
I think you only win by quitting gambling for ever. That's when you win from not gambling every time. You always win when you decide on a daily basis to put yourself on a self imposed ban. I banned myself for two years to break the self imposed after three months. Back on the horse.
I do have an urge to try and win my money back, but as we know, the odds are against me for that. It is more likely that I will lose more and more.
My life is a mess....
I have assets....but I cannot access them.......so I am nearly broke and unemployed.......
The most important thing I must do right now is get a job.......
I am applying.........
I am sure you can understand my predicament.........
Unfortunately I am not wealthy like you and probably never will be.........
I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and I always seem to repeat them.......
I lost a stack of money on the horses.........sometimes I wish I never was a punter......
It began in a small way when I was younger I used to hang around in the TAB and bet one or two dollars.......
I did not know much about horse racing.......I used to just look at the "experts tips" and place my bets..........
Over the years the bets have become more frequent as I have had access to more money.......
I have never had a decent income........all the jobs I have worked in have been in call centres or retail......
The last few jobs I have had didn't work out which is why I am unemployed now........
My last employer stabbed me in the back.........one of the supervisors didn't like the look of me for some reason so she found a way to get rid of me.......I never have a bad word to say about anyone so I could not
understand why........
This year I overbet and bet with money that I could not afford to lose which is a major problem........
I also play Intralot Keno 70 and Lucky 5 but I do not stake as much as I have on the horses.....
I used to play the pokies but I gave up.....
Only a punter would understand why I have put myself in this position.........
The problem with punters is they never know when to quit......you can see them week in and week out.....
I reckon most of them never keep track of their bets......
I have kept track of my bets and I can tell you now it is painful to look back over the last few months......
I reckon I should stop punting or start betting a lot less......
Just visit any TAB on a Saturday and you will see some familiar faces........
I do not like to spend much time at the TAB but I still go to watch some races when I am at the Saturday markets......
Backing a winner makes you feel like you have accomplished something ..........
It is very addictive.......horse racing makes you feel like a part of something bigger, like being a member of a club......
That is why it is called the Sport of Kings.....
I don't have any friends at the moment which is a bit tough........that is life........
Maybe I am a slow learner or I am cursed.........
My advice for punters......
If you find that you are spending too much money get help......
Whether that be from family or friends or professiona help.....
You need to be accountable for how you spend your money.......
Either way I hope my life gets better for the rest of the year .....
I have been addicted to the pokies for nearly 13 years. I have lost thousands of dollars. A couple of years ago I thought I had reached rock bottom but I still play them. I have seeked help from counsellors to GA to banning myself from venues but I know as long as I have access to money I will play the machines. At times I feel angry and guilty at myself for allowing this to happen but I think I am winning the battle. I have to accept I will never get that money back. It's gone but more important I have to understand I have an addiction and I have to work at controlling it. What I would like to say to anyone with a gambling problem is, don't give up, seek help and work at your recovery.
We went out one New Years and my husband and I spent it at the Casino, it was the first time ever going to a place like this, we had a great time just the two of us without the kids. That night he one a couple of thousand.
But what seemed like an innocent night turned out to be the biggest mistake made to date.
My husband has been gambling on pokies for about 4yrs now. Although he might not do it everyday, but when he does choose to do so, he will easily spend his whole pay...........It is taking its toll on our family financialy and our Marriage. I have tried to be there and support him and help understand as to why and how it got to this point, but Im afraid I can no longer deal with this alone. I feel sorrow for familys who have to deal with or know someone who has a gamblimg problem it becomes an emotional rollercoaster spinning out of control and all you want to do is get off.
My husband is the love of my life and I care about him dearly, but when is enough enough..............................
I have a gambling problem which I have been battling for 10 years.
It has cost me my marriage (5 years ago) and almost sent me bankrupt.
I have managed to stop for periods of up to 3 months and then something happens in my lfie which triggers a binge.
My last binge cost me $5,500, which was the money I had received as a redundancy payout from work.
I now don't have a job and no money.
I am permanently broke and haven't had a win for 4 months with my bets and losses steadily escalating to ridiculous levels as I try and win my money back.
I watch everyone else gambling around me win and I never win.
I have developed severe anxiety as I can't even pay my rent and I rarely sleep.
I have had a number of well paying jobs and now I have no assets as I have gambled every cent that I had saved and invested.
I love to gamble on pokies, the races, texas holdem poker (both internet and live)and black jack (casino).
When I gamble all of my problems disappear and I relax, whenI stop gambling the world becomes unlivable again.
The best times in my life in the last 3 years were when I stopped gambling for two preiods of 4 months.
I wish I could control my gambling as there aspects of it that I quite enjoy such as setting a small budget and making some bets on the races, but when I do I can't seem to stop anymore and I just move onto other forms of gambling after the races stop.
I want my life back!
I've decided that enough is enough and that I won't allow gambling to own me anymore.
34 year old father of 4, 5 innocent lives ruined my wife and kids plus mine not so innocent makes 6 but like i said 5 innocent. Debts that would astound most people. Now the only thing i want is for the house and contents to be protected from the wolves. They can have me but please not them.
I will take on what comes but they are innocent - i lied and cheated to feed the pokies - i got credit cards and loans and redirected the mail so my wife would not find out.
Duck down the shop to do the grocceries to take the load of her - yeah right just so i could hit that button again.
To those still gambling - dont run, don't hide, dont lie. Only the truth can save the people around you.
We may lose ourselves in our addictions but it is the innocent that truely suffer.
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