Decide the amount you can lose before the first deposit and set a deposit limit in the account settings at signup. Every site listed here offers the tools and none of them requires them, so they sit unset unless you act.
Never increase a stake to recover a loss. That single pattern appears in nearly every account of gambling harm and it is the clearest point at which to stop.
Borrowing to play, playing to win back losses, hiding how much is being spent, or finding that pokies occupy your attention when you are meant to be doing something else — any of those is reason enough to stop and get advice.
The amount is not the measure. What matters is the place gambling has taken, not the size of the loss.
Gambling Help Online is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day on 1800 858 858 or at gamblinghelponline.org.au. Counselling is available by phone, online chat and email.
BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, can be joined at betstop.gov.au and blocks Australian-licensed wagering services. It does not block the offshore operators listed on this site. Anyone who has registered with BetStop should treat that as a reason to stay away from this category entirely.