Plan a pause
Step away from gambling and choose an activity without stakes or rewards.
Need support now? Stay support is available 24/7. If gambling is affecting you, consider speaking with an independent support service. Find support ↗ General information for safer play, not medical or financial advice.
Contents
Core principles
Put wellbeing first
Gambling can affect finances and emotional wellbeing. You can seek support before concerns become a crisis.
Keep essentials protected
Keep rent, food, bills and savings separate from any gambling budget.
Share your concerns
Support can help whether you want advice, a break or guidance for someone close to you.
Potential risks
Know the possible harms
- Gambling outcomes are not a dependable source of income.
- Trying to recover losses may lead to further spending.
- Borrowing, concealing gambling or using essential funds are signs to stop and reassess.
- Bonus funds and free spins can have conditions and still involve financial risk.
Australian players should check applicable local requirements before using any online gambling service. Read Australian gambling guidance.
Spending boundaries
Money limits and essential spending
Set a boundary first
If you choose to use the service, review the deposit and loss controls shown in your account. A limit is a boundary, not a target.
- Keep essential costs separate and never borrow to gamble.
- Check when a requested limit change becomes active.
- Confirm whether a limit applies to deposits, losses or both.
- If boundaries are difficult to maintain, take a break and seek independent support.
Time boundaries
Time limits and taking breaks
- 01
Choose your finish time
Set a stopping point before you begin and use a reminder outside the gambling interface.
- 02
Make the pause meaningful
Close the service, silence gambling notifications and move to another activity.
- 03
Watch for changes
Notice effects on sleep, work, relationships and how often you think about gambling.
- 04
Speak with support
If you regularly extend sessions or struggle to stop, contact support or an independent service.
Self-exclusion
Stay self exclusion and access controls
Self-exclusion can place a barrier between you and a gambling service. Ask Stay about its process, coverage and reopening conditions rather than assuming one request applies everywhere.
| Control | What to check |
|---|---|
| Stay account exclusion | Ask Stay support about the request process, duration, account coverage and any restrictions on reopening. |
| External registers | Check any external register directly to understand its coverage, participating providers and registration requirements. |
| Device and payment settings | Ask your device or financial provider which blocking tools are available and what they cover. |
For external self-exclusion services, read the current scope and registration information directly at BetStop.
Warning signs
Signs gambling may be becoming harmful
Chasing losses
Increasing stakes or playing longer to win back money after a loss.
Financial strain
Borrowing, unpaid bills or difficulty keeping essential spending separate.
Disruption to daily life
Poor sleep, secrecy, conflict or gambling taking priority over work and relationships.
These signs are a reason to seek support; this guidance does not assess or diagnose your situation. Find independent help Use reliable resources to consider your next step.
Support options
Independent help for Australian players
Stay support
Stay provides 24/7 support. Ask the team about account controls and where to find independent assistance.
Get Bonus Now
External registers
Ask about self-exclusion options and the scope of any external register before relying on it.
Claim Bonus
Support options
Look for current gambling support services available in Australia through official channels.
Play NowYou can seek help when another person’s gambling affects you. Support can help with boundaries and your own wellbeing.
Next action
Choose a useful next step
Speak with support
Stay support is available 24/7. You can also seek independent help for gambling concerns.
Find support options →Create distance
Close gambling services, pause related notifications and choose an activity away from gambling.
Review safer play guidance →Check exclusion coverage
Ask Stay about its self-exclusion process and check any external service’s current scope before registering.
Review exclusion options →Support your wellbeing
You can ask for help when another person’s gambling affects your wellbeing, relationships or finances.
Explore support →Common questions
Stay responsible gambling FAQ
How do I ask Stay about safer gambling controls?
Contact Stay support, available 24/7, and ask about deposit limits, account breaks and self-exclusion options.
Are Stay deposit limits a complete safeguard?
A limit is one part of a wider plan and may not prevent every harm. If boundaries are difficult to maintain, take a break and seek independent support.
Does Stay self exclusion apply beyond my Stay account?
Ask Stay about the coverage of its process. Do not assume a Stay request blocks access to other gambling services.
Can I seek help for someone else’s gambling?
Yes. Stay support can help direct your enquiry, and independent services may also provide guidance for people affected by another person’s gambling.
More guidance
Related information
Stay responsible gambling guide for Australia
Understanding online gambling risks
Gambling may be entertainment, but it carries a risk of financial loss and can affect wellbeing, relationships and work. Game outcomes cannot be reliably predicted or controlled, and longer sessions can make spending harder to track.
Stay lists 7,000 slots and provides an app for iOS and Android with app installation. Easy access makes it useful to decide in advance when to play and when to stop. Safer gambling means treating spending as entertainment, never as income or a way to recover losses.
Stay deposit limits and personal budgeting
A spending plan set before playing can help keep gambling within your means. Use only money left after essentials such as rent, bills, food and debt repayments, and never use borrowed funds.
Stay’s welcome package is AUD 5,000 + 350 free spins, with a minimum deposit of AUD 30, a 40x wagering requirement and validity of 14 days. Review the terms before opting in: bonus play can involve conditions and should not encourage extra spending. Deposit-limit controls and their availability are not published on Stay’s official site, so check your account or ask support.
Set a firm budget and finishing time, then do not deposit again when the budget is used. Recording deposits and playing time can help you notice patterns and avoid raising limits after a loss.
Stay safer gambling habits and taking a break
Notice whether gambling affects your mood, sleep, finances or relationships. Chasing losses, hiding play, borrowing or feeling anxious when stopping are reasons to pause and seek help.
Helpful steps include:
Set spending and time boundaries before a session, and stop when either is reached.
Take breaks away from the screen; avoid gambling when distressed, affected by alcohol or drugs, or trying to solve money problems.
Turn off gambling notifications and remove saved payment details if they make pausing harder.
Ask someone you trust to help you follow your plan and review your gambling regularly.
Stay self exclusion and access controls
If limits are difficult to follow or you want to stop, ask Stay about self-exclusion. Stay’s process and available durations are not published on its official site, so contact 24/7 support to ask how to request exclusion and which account controls are available.
A short break may not be enough when gambling is causing harm. Consider any external self-exclusion service separately and check its current coverage, registration process and participating providers.
Getting help in Australia
If gambling affects you or someone close to you, contact Stay support or an independent Australian gambling support service. Stay support is available 24/7, and its team can answer account-related enquiries.
If you feel unable to keep yourself safe, contact emergency services or a trusted person immediately. Seeking help early can make it easier to address financial and emotional pressure.
