If you need help right now
Immediate support, any hour
- Life in danger: call 000.
- Gambling Help Online — 1800 858 858. Gambling counselling, 24/7.
- Lifeline — 13 11 14. Support 24/7.
- 13YARN — 13 92 76. Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 24/7.
What BetStop is
BetStop is a national register you add yourself to; while you are on it, you are excluded from every licensed Australian online and phone wagering (betting) provider. It launched on 21 August 2023. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for it, and Dataworks Group Limited operates it “on behalf of the ACMA”. It costs nothing: BetStop calls itself a “free Australian Government initiative”.
By 30 June 2026, 65,430 people had registered and 40,160 of them still had an active exclusion, ACMA’s figures updated on 17 July 2026 show: about six in ten registrations were still running (our arithmetic). Lifetime was the period chosen most often, by 25,155 people, ahead of 3 months to 2 years (24,800), 3 months (11,784), 2 to 5 years (2,754) and more than 5 years (937).
Who BetStop covers and who it does not
BetStop covers licensed wagering only. ACMA says that if you self-exclude, “you will be excluded from all of the approximately 150 licensed wagering providers in Australia”, and “You cannot select which providers to exclude from.” The Department of Infrastructure describes them as “Australian licensed interactive wagering services (online and telephone-based)”.
It does not cover online casinos. BetStop states that it “does not apply to online casino games or other gambling services that are illegally provided in Australia”.
ACMA blocks websites for “providing prohibited interactive gambling services to customers in Australia (such as online casinos, online slot machines and services that allow in-play online sports betting)”; since its first request in November 2019, 1,822 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked (ACMA, 24 September 2026). These are blocks on websites, not on a person. The law behind them, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, is set out on our page on whether online casinos are legal in Australia.
It does not replace other registers. ACMA: “If you are registered with another self-exclusion program (such as with a single provider or a register run by a state or territory), you will need to register with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register separately.” The BetStop and ACMA pages we read do not say BetStop covers pubs, clubs or casino venues; those have state programs, below.
Registering, how long it lasts, cancelling
You register at betstop.gov.au with “a mobile phone number, email address and either an Australian driver’s licence, an Australian passport or a Medicare card”; BetStop puts sign-up at “about 5 minutes”. Its freecall number is 1800 238 786, answered 9 am to 9 pm (AEST/AEDT) Monday to Friday, except national public holidays. You can also nominate up to 5 support people.
The period runs from a minimum of 3 months up to a lifetime. ACMA: “You can extend the duration of your self-exclusion at any time” and “You cannot reduce your self-exclusion period.” Once you are on the register, “Wagering providers must close any existing accounts”.
Cancelling early is possible, with conditions. You “can apply to cancel your self-exclusion early after at least 3 months of self-exclusion”, with a Commonwealth statutory declaration that you have seen a counsellor or a general practitioner (GP) about the decision. If the application is valid, you are removed from the register after 7 days.
Pubs, clubs and casinos: state programs
Pubs, clubs and casino venues have their own self-exclusion programs in the three states we checked, each described on its government or regulator page:
| State | Length | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Clubs and pubs: minimum 6 months. Casinos, TAB agencies and their participating licensed venues: minimum 12 months | The online multi-venue self-exclusion system for the gaming areas of some clubs and hotels (GambleAware NSW) |
| VIC | A minimum period applies; the regulator’s page does not name it | Venues and online betting services in Victoria “must provide self-exclusion programs”; you sign an agreement listing the venues. Clubs: Community Clubs Victoria, (03) 8851 4949. Crown Casino: Crown PlaySafe Centre, 1800 801 098 (VGCCC) |
| QLD | Up to 5 years, with a 24-hour cooling-off period | “By law, venues must help anyone who requests a self-exclusion.” A Gambling Help service can process it remotely and deal with venue staff for you (Queensland Government) |
We did not check the other states and territories for this update.
What actually blocks offshore casinos
With BetStop out of reach for online casinos, the blocks that apply to them sit with your bank and your devices. The four banks we checked each offer a gambling block on cards; three say in their own words that some gambling payments can still get through.
| Bank | What the block covers | Turning it off | What the bank says it may miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| CommBank | Gambling transactions on your eligible credit or debit card, set in the CommBank app or NetBank | 48-hour cooling-off period | On credit cards, CommBank “isn’t able to guarantee that all gambling related purchases will be stopped” |
| Westpac | Credit and debit card payments to merchants classified as “betting/casino gambling” | “may take two business days to be lifted” | We found no statement on the page we read |
| NAB | Gambling transactions “like sports betting, casino games, lottery tickets, online gambling, cash advances and credit card transfers” | 72 hours | It blocks “most (but not all)” gambling transactions |
| ANZ | A gambling block managed in the ANZ app | Can be removed once 48 hours have passed | ANZ Plus: “some gambling transactions may not be blocked” |
The national credit card ban does not do this job. ACMA: “From 11 June 2024, you won’t be able to use a credit card or digital currency to place bets”, and “Online and telephone wagering operators will not be allowed to accept payments using these methods.” ACMA’s wording names wagering operators, the group BetStop covers; for offshore casinos, the card control is the bank block.
Device blockers work on the phone, tablet or computer they are installed on. BetBlocker describes itself as “a charity registered in Scotland” that “is funded entirely through grants, donations and charitable support”. Gamban offers a 7-day free trial to “protect all of your devices”.
Helplines and services
| Service | Contact | Hours | What its website says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gambling Help Online | 1800 858 858 gamblinghelponline.org.au | 24/7 | “Speak to a gambling counsellor 24/7 across Australia. It's free, professional, and confidential.” Internet Archive copy of 27 August 2026; the live site did not open for us on 11 October 2026. The Queensland Government gives the same number for 24/7 counselling |
| Lifeline | 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au | 24/7 | Its home page header: “Call us | 13 11 14 | … Support 24/7” |
| 13YARN | 13 92 76 13yarn.org.au | 24/7 | Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; “Free and confidential service available 24/7 from any mobile or pay phone” |
| National Debt Helpline | 1800 007 007 ndh.org.au | Phone weekdays 9:30am–4:30pm; live chat weekdays 9:00am–8:00pm | We read only its contact details and hours |
| 1800RESPECT | 1800 737 732; text 0458 737 732 1800respect.org.au | 24/7 | “available for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence” |
| BetStop | 1800 238 786 betstop.gov.au | Call centre 9 am–9 pm AEST/AEDT, Monday to Friday | National self-exclusion register for licensed Australian wagering, not online casinos |
If it is someone close to you
You cannot sign another person up: BetStop says “A person needs to register themselves for BetStop”. They can nominate you as one of up to 5 support people, and ACMA says “Any support people will be notified” when a cancellation is applied for. If there is domestic, family or sexual violence, 1800RESPECT is on 1800 737 732, 24/7.
Outside Australia
Everything on this page is Australian: BetStop covers Australian licensed providers, and the numbers above are Australian services. We did not re-check helplines in other countries for this update, so we do not list them.
BetStop and gambling help FAQ
Does BetStop block online casinos?
No. BetStop says it “does not apply to online casino games or other gambling services that are illegally provided in Australia”. It covers the approximately 150 licensed wagering providers in Australia.
How long does BetStop self-exclusion last?
From a minimum of 3 months up to a lifetime. You can extend it at any time, but you cannot reduce it.
Can I cancel BetStop?
You can apply to cancel early after at least 3 months of self-exclusion, with a Commonwealth statutory declaration that you have seen a counsellor or a GP about the decision. If the application is valid, you are removed after 7 days, and any support people are notified.
Is gambling help free?
BetStop is free. Gambling Help Online describes its 24/7 counselling on 1800 858 858 as “free, professional, and confidential” (Internet Archive copy of 27 August 2026). 13YARN and 1800RESPECT also say they are free.
How do I help someone with a gambling problem?
You cannot register them for BetStop: a person has to register themselves. They can nominate you as one of up to 5 support people, and you are told if they apply to cancel. If there is violence at home, 1800RESPECT answers 24/7 on 1800 737 732.
Sources and method
- ACMA, BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register, last updated 8 October 2026, read 11 October 2026 (coverage, periods, extending, cancelling, support people). This page gives the register operator’s number as 1300 792 958 and lists a driver’s licence or Medicare card for registration; we follow BetStop’s own site for both
- ACMA, BetStop statistics Q4 2025–2026, updated 17 July 2026, data to 30 June 2026, read 11 October 2026 (launch date, registrations, periods). Figures change with each new ACMA release
- BetStop, home, about, what to expect, FAQs, contact, read 11 October 2026
- Department of Infrastructure, BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register, read 11 October 2026
- ACMA, Blocked gambling websites, updated 20 July 2026, and Latest illegal online gambling websites blocked, 24 September 2026, both read 11 October 2026
- ACMA, Credit ban, read 11 October 2026
- GambleAware NSW, Take a break and ban yourself; VGCCC, Self-exclusion; Queensland Government, Gambling self-exclusion, all read 11 October 2026
- Bank pages, read 11 October 2026: CommBank, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, ANZ Plus. Other banks were not checked
- Gambling Help Online, Internet Archive copy of 27 August 2026, read 11 October 2026; the live site did not open for us that day
- Lifeline, 13YARN, National Debt Helpline, 1800RESPECT, BetBlocker and Gamban: each organisation’s home page, read 11 October 2026
We list these services because they help people with gambling harm; we have no relationship with any of them and are paid nothing for the links. Details change: if a number here has moved, tell us at info@toponlinecasinoaustralia.com and we will correct it.
ACMA blocks websites providing “prohibited interactive gambling services to customers in Australia”, including online casinos. You must be 18 or over to gamble. Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858, 24/7.
Written by: Helene Berner · Updated: 12 October 2026