You are in the right place. We work with people to help them address their gambling concerns on their terms and link them with other services they may need.
Support Services
Counselling
Often just talking things through, sharing ideas and expressing feelings and thoughts freely in a space without judgement or pressure, means that people come up with great solutions.
Financial Counselling
We work in partnership with Care Financial Counselling Service to help people in financial stress offering counselling and information about financial matters.
Peer Support
Our Peer Support builds safe pathways for people to come together and share common experiences and concerns so seeds of hope can grow, which can remind and inspire us that life will not always be this way.
Help and advice
What happens when you contact us?
We are here for you. At the ACT Gambling Support Service we offer assistance and support to help you manage gambling harm, including gambling and financial counselling and peer support.
We provide education and prevention initiatives to gambling harm and referrals to other community agencies when necessary.
All our support is free and confidential.
Do you want to assess your gambling and know where you are now?
We know that recognising gambling harm might be difficult. Assessing where you are now can help you make informed decisions on what to do next.
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is a reliable and standardised measure of at-risk behaviour in gambling harm. It is a tool based on research on the common signs and consequences of gambling harm.
We invite you to think over the last 12 months and take your quiz here
Is gambling affecting your relationship or your health?
Gambling harm can affect your relationships and general health, including issues with drugs and alcohol and family violence.
We would like to share more resources available in the following links:
Additionally, on Relationships Australia Canberra & Region website you can find information and support on relationship and family counselling, specialised family violence counselling, counselling for LGTBIQ community and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Do you want to try the self-exclusion process to manage gambling?
Self-exclusion (or self-banning) is a process where you voluntary exclude yourself from areas of specific gambling venues or online providers.
It can provide a concrete tool to help keep you safe from excessive gambling.
All Australian gambling providers are required to give customers the option to self-exclude from their venue or products. So whether someone wants to ban themselves from entering the premises of venues such as clubs, pubs or TABs or from placing a bet on gambling websites such as SportsBet, TattsBet or Tattersall’s, self-exclusion is available.
You can find some ways to try to self-exclude depending on how you gamble on the Gambling Help Online
Why don’t you join the 100 Day Challenge?
The 100 Day Challenge is an anonymous and flexible program designed to give you the support you need if you have decided to cut back, take a break or stop gambling permanently.
Through the 100 Day Challenge you can set individual goals, get support and advice, discover new activities or chat with others who also share the interest for the challenge.
Join the challenge on the 100 Day Challenge website.
Anthony
“Help from the ACT Gambling Support Service was incredibly helpful. It was nice to know there was no cap and I could come as long as I need to as I think that impacts. Seeing someone in the first place and being told you can only come three times doesn’t help. The freedom and flexibility to see someone as long as I needed was fantastic”.
Grace
“ACT Gambling Support Service team helped with my addiction a great deal. I have not gambled for over a year already. I feel great about that. It has changed my life a lot. The counsellor was a great support and help to me. Thank you so much”.
Resources
Infographic: What happens when you contact the ACT Gambling Support Service?
Poster: What does gambling harm mean?
Financial tips to help when someone in your life is gambling
How to respond if you are worried about someone else’s gambling?
Video: Gambling harm is much more than losing money
Report: ACT Gambling Support Service
2019 ACT Gambling Survey: Summary of findings
