Responsible gambling: the tools in your account, the national register and the people who answer when you need to talk

Betting is a paid form of fun

A punt is entertainment you pay for, like a ticket to the footy. The money is the price of the afternoon, not an investment that has to come back. Keeping that picture in your head is the simplest protection there is, and the tools below exist for the days when it slips.

18+ only.

The tools inside your Swiftbet account

Licensed Australian bookmakers give you controls inside the account, and Swiftbet is no exception. The most useful one is the deposit limit: set it on the first day, at a level that would not change your week, and let it do the deciding when a Saturday gets exciting. The account also offers ways to take a break or to exclude yourself from that bookmaker, and the exact options and how long each lasts are shown in the account settings. Lowering a limit takes effect quickly. Raising one is designed to take longer, which gives you time to think it over. Set the limit for a week rather than a day if your betting clusters around Saturday racing, because a weekly figure leaves room for a big card without inviting a top up on Sunday to win it back.

BetStop, the national register

BetStop is the national self-exclusion register. One registration blocks you from every licensed Australian bookmaker at once, not just one brand, for a period you choose, and the bookmakers covered by it must close your accounts and stop sending you marketing. It is free, and you can register yourself or get help doing it.

One step covers them all.

Signs worth noticing

A few signs come up again and again in the stories of people who lost control of their betting, and none of them looks dramatic on the day it first appears. Chasing a loss is one. Another is reaching for money that was meant for rent or for the family, telling yourself it will be back by Monday. Hiding how much you bet is a third. If you notice any of these, take a break from the account, lower your limit and talk to someone you trust before the next race meeting.

You do not need to wait for a crisis.

Talking to someone close to you

Betting problems rarely stay with one person. Partners, parents and friends notice the mood swings and the missing money before anyone says a word, and they are allowed to ask for help too. If you are worried about someone, choose a calm moment, speak about what you have seen rather than about what kind of person they are, and point them towards support without taking over their accounts yourself.

Gambling Help Online

Gambling Help Online answers on 1800 858 858, and it also offers chat and email support online. It is free and confidential, for punters and for the people close to them. No other helpline appears anywhere on this site, and none ever will, because a number we cannot vouch for is worse than no number at all.

Young people and shared devices

Betting in Australia is for adults 18 and over. If children use your phone or laptop, log out after every session, keep your password out of the browser's memory, and use the parental controls your device already has. Everything else about the brand is collected on the home page of the guide.