Make a 'Forget the bet' game plan
Is your betting overtaking your enjoyment of sport? If you want to focus more on the action than the odds, there are things you can do to stay in control.
Make a plan to limit your losses
If you choose to place a bet, use these ideas to limit or prevent gambling-related harm:
- Set a limit on the money you’ll spend and commit to stopping once you reach it—be wary of trying to chase your losses. Sports betting providers must give you the option to set a deposit limit where you can restrict the amount you put into your account in a set period.
- Set boundaries around how often you gamble—it gets risky when you bet too often.
- Keep a clear mind and don’t gamble when you’re drinking or feeling down or anxious—these can impair your decision-making and make it harder to stick to your limits.
- Inform supportive friends about your limits so they can help you stick to them.
- Stay strong against peer pressure—gambling with others can influence your choices. If your friends gamble too, set your limits and boundaries before spending time with them.
- If you’re betting in groups on apps, make sure you’re not influenced to spend more time and money betting than you would otherwise.
- Be careful of promotional bets—special offers can tempt you to bet more than you usually would.
- Think carefully about taking up free bet or cash back offers as these can hook you longer than you intended.
- If you think you’re at risk of betting above your limits, consider unsubscribing from betting provider marketing messages.
- Turn off push notifications from sports betting apps.
- Review your betting activity statements and track your spending—by law, sports betting providers must email you a monthly statement showing what you’ve spent. Take note if your spending is increasing.
Ban yourself
If you need to take a break from gambling, you can ban yourself from betting venues and gambling apps.
Self-exclusion
A self-exclusion (or self-ban) is where you request to be banned from specific gambling providers, products or services. All licensed gambling providers in Queensland must help you self-exclude from their venues or products if you request a self-exclusion.
BetStop
Use BetStop—the National Self-Exclusion RegisterTM to block yourself from all phone and online gambling providers.
It’s safe and free and you can register any time. Choose to self-exclude from 3 months to a lifetime.
Once you register, online and phone gambling providers won’t be able to:
- let you place a bet
- let you open new betting accounts
- send you marketing messages.
Where to get help
If you or someone you care about is at risk of gambling-related harm, reach out to Gambling Help Queensland for free and confidential advice and support.
Find out more about counselling, support and advice.
More information
- Learn how to spot gambling harm and when people are at risk.
- Find out about the risks and red flags of sports betting.
- Get ideas to help you talk to others about the risks of sports betting.