The damage caused by gambling rarely happens all at once. It can begin with a few bets that seem harmless, then gradually turn into mounting debts, strained relationships, lost savings, and a cycle of secrecy and shame. Yet recovery is possible, and the right support can help people regain control of their lives.
This guide explores the warning signs, underlying causes, and effects on the brain, along with practical ways to access treatment, free support services, and help for loved ones affected by problem gambling addiction in Australia.
How common is problem gambling in Australia?
Australians lose around $32 billion a year on legal gambling, which is the highest loss per person of any country in the world.
The 2024 National Gambling Prevalence Study Pilot, run by the Australian Gambling Research Centre at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, found that 65% of Australian adults gambled in the past year and about 15% experienced gambling-related harm, which is more than 3 million people.
Among people who gamble every month, 7.7% were at high risk. Young adults were hit hardest: regular gamblers aged 18 to 24 were nearly twice as likely to be at high risk as older age groups.
Gambling harm in Australia is therefore not a niche issue. It reaches across ages, incomes and workplaces, and it affects partners, children, parents and friends as well as the person gambling.
What is Gambling Addiction?
Gambling is the everyday name for what clinicians call gambling disorder, also described as compulsive gambling or, in public health language, problem gambling. It means a persistent, repeated pattern of gambling that a person finds hard to control and that causes real problems in their life.
Is gambling addiction a mental illness?
Yes. Gambling disorder is a recognised mental health condition. In the DSM-5, it sits in the category of substance-related and addictive disorders, the first behavioural addiction to be included there. It is not a character flaw, a lack of willpower, or a moral failing. It involves the brain’s reward and decision-making systems and responds to treatment.
Signs of gambling addiction
The signs of problem gambling often build slowly. Many people notice the financial effects first, but behaviour and emotions usually change earlier. Common gambling disorder symptoms include:
Behavioural Signs
- Gambling more often, for longer, or with more money than planned
- Chasing losses: returning to gamble to win back money just lost, and betting bigger to do so
- Being preoccupied with gambling, such as reliving past bets or planning the next one
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop
- Gambling in secret, hiding betting apps or lying about where time and money have gone.
- Neglecting work, study, family, or other responsibilities.
Emotional Signs
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut back
- Gambling to escape stress, low mood, boredom, or guilt
- Intense highs when winning and crashes when losing
- Shame, anxiety, or hopelessness about gambling
Financial and Practical Signs
- Borrowing money, maxing out cards, using buy now, pay later, or taking payday loans to gamble
- Selling belongings or dipping into savings, super, or a partner’s money
- Unexplained withdrawals, missing money, or bills not getting paid
- Needing others to bail them out of financial trouble
Warning Signs of Gambling Addiction in someone else
If you are worried about someone, the warning signs of gambling addiction that others often notice include sudden money problems, increased secrecy, mood swings, being on their phone for betting apps, missing events, and new debts they cannot explain.
Do I have a Gambling Problem?
Only a qualified professional can diagnose a gambling problem, but two tools can help you reflect.
The DSM-5 criteria. Gambling disorder is diagnosed when a person has four or more of the following in a 12-month period, causing distress or problems in daily life:
- Needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money to feel the same excitement
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down or stop
- Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop
- Frequent preoccupation with gambling
- Gambling when feeling distressed
- Returning after losing money to get even (chasing losses)
- Lying to hide the extent of gambling
- Jeopardising or losing a relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling
- Relying on others to provide money to relieve a financial situation caused by gambling
Severity is rated as mild (4 to 5 criteria), moderate (6 to 7) or severe (8 to 9).
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). If you have wondered what the Problem Gambling Severity Index is, it is a nine-question screening tool used in Australian research.
Each question asks how often, over the past 12 months, something has happened, such as betting more than you could afford to lose, or feeling guilty about gambling. Answers are scored from 0 to 3 and added up.
A score of 0 means no problems, 1 to 2 is low risk, 3 to 7 is moderate risk, and 8 or more indicates problem gambling. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis, but a score above zero is a good reason to talk to someone. Gambling Help Online also offers free self-assessment and chat support.
Common Types of Gambling Harm in Australia
Gambling disorder can involve any form of gambling, but a few are particularly associated with harm here:
Pokies Addiction
Electronic gaming machines are heavily associated with problem gambling in Australia. Their fast pace, sounds, lights, and near misses are designed to keep people playing.
Sports Betting Addiction
Constant access through apps, in-play betting, multis, and heavy advertising make sports betting a growing source of harm, particularly among younger men.
Online Gambling Addiction in Australia.
Betting apps, online casinos, and wagering are available 24 hours a day, often with instant deposits, which makes it easy to lose control and hard to step away. Racing, lotteries, scratchies, and casino table games can also be involved.
Causes of Gambling Addiction
There is rarely one cause. Why people become addicted to gambling usually comes down to a mix of brain chemistry, personal vulnerability, and environment.
Gambling Addiction and the Brain: Dopamine and Reward
Gambling and dopamine are closely linked. Dopamine is a brain chemical involved in motivation and anticipation. Research shows that gambling can trigger dopamine release, and that the anticipation of a possible win, rather than the win itself, can be especially powerful.
Gambling is built on unpredictable rewards, where wins arrive at random intervals. This pattern, known as variable reinforcement, is one of the strongest ways to keep a behaviour going.
Near misses can feel almost like wins to the brain, which fuels the urge to try again. Over time, a person may need to gamble more to feel the same effect, and the brain’s ability to weigh up risks and control impulses can become less effective.
Risk Factors for Gambling Addiction
Factors that increase the likelihood of gambling problems include:
- Early exposure. Starting to gamble young, or growing up where gambling is normalised
- A big early win. An early large win can create unrealistic expectations
- Impulsivity and sensation seeking. Traits that make risk more rewarding and consequences easier to ignore
- Other mental health conditions. Depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use frequently occur alongside gambling problems. In the national prevalence study, 68 % of high-risk gamblers reported a cognitive, behavioural or mental health condition in the past year.
- Stress, loneliness and major life change. Job loss, relationship breakdown, bereavement, or isolation
- Easy access and heavy marketing. Pokies in local venues, betting apps on phones, and constant advertising
- Family history. Gambling problems can run in families, reflecting both genetics and environment.
- Cognitive distortions. Beliefs such as “I’m due a win”, “I can win it back”, or overestimating skill in games of chance
Gambling and ADHD
Gambling and ADHD are linked. People with ADHD tend to have higher rates of problem gambling, which is thought to relate to impulsivity, difficulty delaying gratification, reward sensitivity and trouble with planning and consequences.
This does not mean everyone with ADHD will develop a gambling problem, but it is a recognised risk, and ADHD is sometimes only identified when someone seeks help for gambling. If you suspect ADHD might be part of the picture, our guide to getting diagnosed with ADHD in Australia explains the process. Treating ADHD alongside gambling can make recovery more stable.
Effects of gambling addiction
The effects reach well beyond money:
Financial
Debt, defaulting on bills or loans, loss of savings or housing, and in some cases bankruptcy or legal problems
Mental Health
Anxiety, depression, shame, and sleep problems. The Australian study found suicidal thoughts nearly four times higher among high-risk gamblers than non-risk gamblers.
Relationships
Loss of trust, conflict, secrecy, and breakdown of partnerships.
Work and Study
Reduced performance, absenteeism, or job loss.
Family
Gambling addiction effects on family include financial stress, emotional neglect, anxiety, and instability, particularly for children. Research shows women, especially younger women, are more likely to be harmed by someone else’s gambling than by their own
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 000 in an emergency.
Gambling addiction help in Australia
Help is free, confidential and available now.
Gambling help Australia: Where to Start.
- National Gambling Helpline (Gambler’s Help): 1800 858 858. Free, confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The gambling helpline in Australia connects you to counselling and local services.
- Gambling Help Online (gamblinghelponline.org.au). Free 24/7 chat, email counselling, self-help tools and information for people affected by gambling and their families.
- Your GP. A GP can talk through options, check your wellbeing and refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
BetStop and Self-Exclusion in Australia
BetStop is the National Self-Exclusion Register. In one step, you can exclude yourself from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services for a period you choose, from a minimum of 3 months up to a lifetime.
Providers must close your accounts, stop you opening new ones, and stop sending you marketing. Registration is free and takes only minutes at betstop.gov.au using a mobile number, email and either an Australian driver’s licence or Medicare card.
It is important to know what self-exclusion in Australia does not cover. BetStop applies to licensed online and phone wagering. It does not cover pokies, casinos, clubs, pubs or unlicensed offshore sites.
For venues, you can self-exclude directly or through state programs, and Gambling Help Online can explain what is available where you live. Many banks also offer ways to block gambling transactions, which can add another layer of protection.
Gambling addiction treatment
Treatment works best when it is tailored to the person, and it often combines several approaches.
CBT for Gambling Addiction
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has the strongest evidence for gambling addiction treatment. It helps people recognise and challenge distorted beliefs about luck and winning, identify triggers, manage urges, and build healthier ways of coping with stress and emotions.
It also includes practical strategies such as controlling access to money and gambling environments. Motivational approaches, which build a person’s own reasons for change, are often used alongside CBT.
Gambling Addiction Counselling and Seeing a Psychologist
Gambling addiction counselling is available free through Gambler’s Help services. A gambling addiction psychologist can also provide structured therapy, often alongside treatment for depression, anxiety or trauma.
With a GP mental health treatment plan, Medicare rebates may apply to psychology sessions, though out-of-pocket costs depend on the provider. Peer support such as Gamblers Anonymous can also help people who benefit from shared experience.
Gambling addiction medication
There is no medication approved specifically to treat gambling disorder in Australia. Some medicines, including opioid antagonists such as naltrexone, have been studied for gambling urges with mixed results, and medication is more commonly used to treat conditions that occur alongside gambling, such as depression, anxiety or ADHD.
Any decision about gambling addiction medication should be made with a doctor or psychiatrist who understands the whole picture, and medication should never be started, changed or stopped on your own.
Gambling Debt Help
Money problems can feel overwhelming, and shame about debt often stops people seeking help. Free, confidential financial counsellors can negotiate with creditors, explain your options and help build a repayment plan.
You can reach financial counselling through Gambler’s Help (1800 858 858) or the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007. Getting debt support early often reduces the pressure that drives further gambling.
How to Stop Gambling: Practical Steps
Wondering how to stop gambling or how to overcome gambling addiction can feel daunting. These steps help many people get started, ideally alongside professional support:
Reach Out
Tell someone you trust, or call 1800 858 858. Breaking secrecy is often the biggest first step.
Block Access
Register with BetStop, self-exclude from venues, delete betting apps, and ask your bank about gambling blocks.
Limit Access to Money
Hand control of finances, cards, and online banking to a trusted person for a period, and remove saved card details.
Know your Triggers
Notice the times, places, emotions, and situations that lead to urges, and plan alternatives.
Ride Out Urges
Urges rise and fall, often within minutes to an hour. Delay, distract, and contact someone rather than acting.
Fill the Gap
Replace the time gambling occupied with activities that give structure, connection,n and reward.
Look After the Basics
Sleep, regular meals, and exercise improve mood and impulse control.
Get Treatment for Related Issues
Depression, anxiety, ADHD, or trauma left untreated make relapse more likely.
Expect Setbacks
A slip is not a failure. It is information to learn from, and a reason to reach out again, not to give up.
Can you Recover from Gambling Addiction?
Yes. Many people recover and rebuild their finances, relationships, and sense of self. Recovery is rarely a straight line, and relapse risk is highest early on, which is why ongoing support, practical safeguards, and treating underlying issues matter.
Can gambling addiction go away on its own? Some people do reduce or stop gambling without formal treatment, often after a crisis or a major life change. But waiting and hoping carries real risk, because harm tends to escalate in the meantime. Getting support earlier usually means less debt, less damage to relationships, and better outcomes.
How to Help Someone with a Gambling Addiction
If you are worried about a family member, friend, or partner’s gambling addiction, you are not alone, and support is available for you too.
- Choose a calm moment to speak, without blame or accusation. Share what you have noticed and how it affects you, and listen.
- Avoid bailing them out. Paying off debts can unintentionally enable continued gambling. Financial counsellors can advise on how to help without taking on the burden.
- Protect your own finances. Consider separating accounts, limiting access to shared funds, and getting financial advice if needed.
- Encourage professional help. Suggest Gambler’s Help, Gambling Help Online or a GP, and BetStop. BetStop even lets a person invite a support person.
- Get support for yourself. Gambler’s Help and Gambling Help Online offer free counselling for family and friends, and many find peer support groups valuable.
- Be patient. Recovery takes time, and change cannot be forced, but your support matters.
FAQs
What are the signs of gambling addiction?
Common signs include gambling more than planned, chasing losses, being preoccupied with gambling, failed attempts to cut back, lying about gambling, borrowing money to gamble, and neglecting work or relationships.
What causes gambling addiction?
A combination of factors, including the way gambling stimulates the brain’s reward system, early exposure, impulsivity, mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or ADHD, stress, easy access, and family history.
Is gambling addiction a mental illness?
Yes. It is recognised as gambling disorder in the DSM-5, classified as an addictive disorder, and it is treatable.
How do I know if I have a gambling problem?
Ask whether gambling is causing stress, secrecy, money problems or conflict, and whether you find it hard to stop. Screening tools such as the PGSI and a conversation with a GP, psychologist or Gambler’s Help can help clarify.
How do I stop gambling?
Start by reaching out for support, block access through BetStop and venue self-exclusion, limit access to money, learn your triggers, and consider CBT with a psychologist or free counselling through Gambler’s Help.
What is the gambling helpline number in Australia?
The National Gambling Helpline is 1800 858 858. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, every day.
Can gambling addiction be treated with medication?
No medication is specifically approved for gambling disorder in Australia, but medication may help treat related conditions. Talk to a doctor or psychiatrist about what is right for you.
How can I help my partner with a gambling problem?
Talk with them without blame, avoid bailing them out financially, protect your own finances, encourage professional help, and seek support for yourself through Gambler’s Help or Gambling Help Online.
Conclusion
If gambling is beginning to take a toll on your mental health, relationships, or everyday life, you do not have to face it alone. The emotional impact can run deeper than expected, particularly when anxiety, depression or ADHD may also be contributing to the struggle. Understanding what is happening beneath the surface can be an important step towards meaningful, long-term support.
ExpertMinds offers telehealth psychiatric assessments and support across Australia, helping individuals explore their mental health concerns and discuss appropriate care with qualified professionals. Reaching out can be the beginning of understanding your experiences, addressing underlying concerns and finding a more supported way forward.
If gambling is causing distress right now, confidential help is available. Call the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858, free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for support and guidance.
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