Gambling Problems & Mental Health

Gambling Problems (Gambler’s Help, Gambling Help Online)

This is one in a series of blog posts describing some of the support services available in Australia.

If you are in a crisis situation, or life is at risk, please call 000 immediately.

You can read our other blog posts on Family Violence services, Homelessness services, Drug and Alcohol suport services and Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention Services.

Gambler’s Help

Who is this service aimed towards?

Gambler’s Help offers 24/7 free and confidential support to those undergoing gambling problems, as well as:

• People who want to cut back on their gambling
• The families and friends of those struggling with gambling
• People who want to check if they’re at risk for a gambling problem
• People wanting to know how much time and money they spend on gambling

How to get in touch?

The support team of Gambler’s Help is available for support on the phone and online.

• To receive 24/7 support through the phone, call 1800 858 858
• For email counselling, 24/7 live chats, and online forums (where you can remain anonymous), visit https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/ and select the option “Get Started”.
• To reach the Gambler’s Help Youthline, call 1800 262 376

If you aren’t in Australia or need help in languages other than English, you can also find free and confidential support. The team will provide an interpreter, for free. You can view available languages on this page.

If you have a hearing or speech impediment, contact them through the National Relay Service.

What kind of support services do they offer?

A range of confidential help and support are available to assist gambling addicts and their loved ones, among them:

• Face-to-face counselling (may be unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions)
• Phone and video counselling
• Peer Connection (a telephone support service where ex-gambler support volunteers can help people with their personal success stories)
• Financial counselling
• Aboriginal Communities’ Gambling Awareness Program
• Under 25s 24/7 support
• Support for family and friends

Or, find a service near you by visiting Gambler’s Help Service Finder. To learn more about the services and what they do, go to https://gamblershelp.com.au/.

Gambling Help Online

Who is this service aimed towards?

Gambling Help Online helps anyone affected by gambling take a step forward. It’s free, private, confidential, and allows you to talk to real people with real experiences 24/7.

This service is suitable for:

• People who are currently addicted to gambling and want to put an end to it
• People who are deep into gambling and want to take preventive measures
• Friends and family who want to help a loved one recover from gambling
• People who have lost money due to gambling, as well as those wanting to manage their money better

How to get in touch?

You can get in touch with Gambling Help Online through phone, chat or email.

• To contact a 24/7 helpline, call 1800 858 858 to speak with a counsellor in your state
• To reach the financial counselling helpline from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday), call 1800 007 007
• For quick questions, reach a counsellor via email.
• To confidentially chat with a qualified gambling counsellor anywhere, anytime, visit their chat counselling page

If you’re a non-English speaker, you can still have access to support in a number of languages. You can view all available languages here. If you don’t see your language, call the Telephone Interpreter Service ( 131 450 ) and ask for the gambling counselling service available in your region.

What kind of support services do they offer?

• Peer-to-peer support (a forum where you can chat to people who have been where you are)
• Free SMS programs (for morning or evening messages that will motivate and inspire you to keep pushing through)
• Face-to-face counselling
• Self-assessment test (an assessment that will help with discovering where you currently stand, and which steps you should take next)
• Self-help module topics (for those who want to learn more about their condition before seeking treatment)
• Gambling calculator (a tool that will help you find out how much you spend with gambling)

For more information, visit https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/.

Remember, if you are in a crisis situation, or need immediate support, please call 000.

We also offer counselling and coaching support. For a free, confiedntial discussion about how me can help you, click here to make a time for us to chat, or call us directly on 0493 063 530.