Know the risks and signs of gambling harm
Gambling harm is about more than just losing money. It is any negative outcome, caused or made worse by gambling. These negative effects can damage your health or wellbeing, your family and community.
Gambling harm is not experienced by everyone in the same way. For some people, gambling harm is small, and they might not even notice it. But for others, it can increase and have a big impact.
Gambling can harm anyone. It's designed to hook people in, know the risks before they affect you or those you care about.
Know the risks
Gambling can be an enjoyable activity. However, it comes with risks of harm to individuals and to society.
Gambling harm can affect anyone because gambling is designed to be addictive. Some forms of online video games also have gambling or gambling-like parts that have a risk of harm.
Find out more about the features of gambling products that keep people spending.
Know the signs
If you’re gambling but not having a good time, you could be ignoring the first signs of gambling harm.
Signs of gambling harm include:
- spending more time or money gambling than you wanted
- having less money than you should
- having regrets or feeling guilty after gambling
- losing focus at work or social events
- trying to win back your losses
- spending less time with people you care about
- hiding how much you gamble from friends and family
- gambling after the fun stops.
When you know the signs of gambling harm, you can take action to reduce your risk when you gamble.
Assess your risk
To find out how much gambling is costing you, use the gambling calculator.
Find out your risks of gambling harm by using the self-assessment tool. Assessing your behaviour now can help you make decisions about what to do next.
Learn how gambling affects your brain
When we have a win, the brain releases a feel-good chemical called dopamine.
But when we gamble often, our brain gets used to the dopamine, which makes that winning feeling difficult to achieve. We may have to gamble more and more to feel the same level of pleasure.
To find out more about how gambling affects the brain, visit Victorian Gambler's Help.
The brain constantly changes as we learn, creating associations and establishing patterns. This means it is never too late for us to change our brain. To find support, visit Gambling support services.
Personal stories of gambling harm and positive change
It can be hard to talk about gambling harm. When you start to talk, you can start to feel better.
Markus Fischer talked about the harm he was experiencing. That was his first step to getting the support he needed.
This page is managed by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission