Immediate support and short-term planning
Support options in Aotearoa
- Phone and text support
The free Gambling Helpline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0800 654 655, with free text support on 8006. Dedicated lines include the Māori Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 656, the Pasifika Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 657, the Youth Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 659 and the Gambling Debt Helpline on 0800 654 658. A caller can ask about counselling, local services or options for a person affected by somebody else’s gambling.
- Service directories
Safer Gambling Aotearoa has information about signs of harm, staying in control, gambling products and support providers. Healthify and Healthpoint list additional services, including PGF Services, Asian Family Services and Mapu Maia. Availability, language and opening hours can vary by service, so check the provider’s current information.
- Starting a conversation
Support does not require a person to hit a financial crisis or promise to stop forever before speaking with someone. A first conversation can focus on what has changed and what would make the next day safer. Confidentiality and service scope can be confirmed directly with the provider before sharing details.
The first 24 hours
- Pause access to gambling apps and promotional messages for the rest of the day.
- Check which essential payments are due and move them out of reach of gambling deposits.
- Tell a trusted person what happened and ask for practical company, not judgement.
- Contact a support service to discuss the next step and what information to bring.
- Write down the trigger for the session-stress, boredom, a match, an offer or an urge to recover a loss.
A plan can put time and practical barriers between an urge and a transaction, and give another person a way to help. If one barrier fails, a counsellor can help find another. The New Zealand support services listed here also work with friends and whānau who are carrying the impact.
Signs of harm and access controls
What gambling harm can look like
Harm is not defined only by the amount lost. Someone can feel pressure after a relatively small sum if the money was needed for food, transport or a bill; another person may lose a much larger amount before anyone around them notices. Frequency, time, secrecy, borrowing and emotional strain can be more revealing than a single transaction.
A person may gamble to escape worry, boredom, grief or loneliness. A remembered win links gambling with relief, while a loss can prompt the belief that another bet will repair the damage. The urge to recover money by continuing is known as chasing losses. It is a warning sign because the next outcome is uncertain and more spending can deepen the original problem.
Online access changes the setting. A phone can make gambling available while travelling, at work, in bed or during a live match. Fast deposits and short rounds shorten the time between decisions. Notifications and offers can bring the product back to attention after a person has closed the app.
Signs to notice in yourself or someone close
| Area | Possible signs | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Borrowing, using bill money, hiding withdrawals, selling belongings or taking on debt. | Essential expenses and future choices may be affected. |
| Time | Longer sessions, losing track of hours, missing sleep, work or family plans. | Gambling may be displacing important parts of the week. |
| Relationships | Arguments, secrecy, broken promises or avoiding people who ask about spending. | Trust and household stability can become strained. |
| Mood | Anxiety, guilt, irritability, low mood or feeling restless when not gambling. | Emotional pressure can make decisions feel harder to control. |
| Attention | Thinking mainly about the last result or the next chance; losing interest in other activities. | The activity may be taking up more mental space than intended. |
One sign does not diagnose a person. It can be a reason to ask a calm question and make room for an honest answer. Avoid arguing over whether someone is “a gambler” or demanding proof in front of other people. Focus on the effect on safety, money, sleep and relationships.
Practical boundary tools, voluntary exclusion programs, and confidential counseling support.
Boundaries outside the platform
A spending limit set while someone is excited can be easy to override. A stronger boundary is decided before a session, when the person is not trying to recover a loss or respond to an offer. Keep gambling money separate from household bills, rent, debt repayments and savings. Do not borrow to gamble or treat a future win as part of a budget.
- Decide in advance how much time and money are available, then stop when either limit is reached.
- Do not use credit, overdraft, rent money or a family member’s account for gambling.
- Turn off promotional notifications and remove saved payment methods when they create pressure.
- Take a break after a loss instead of trying to win it back.
- Keep gambling out of moments when alcohol, stress or sleep loss affects judgement.
- Tell one trusted person the boundary and arrange a check-in after a difficult session.
These measures can make gambling harder to access, but they do not replace treatment or financial support when gambling has already caused harm. A site limit may apply only to one account; another platform, cash venue or payment method can remain available. If stopping has been difficult more than once, specialist support can help identify stronger barriers.
Self-exclusion and practical blocks
Self-exclusion is a formal request to prevent someone from gambling at a venue or on a platform for a chosen period. A person should ask what the exclusion covers, how long it lasts, whether it applies across brands and what happens to marketing messages and account access. Keep the confirmation and note the end date; a self-exclusion does not necessarily block every provider in a market.
Other ways to restrict access include removing payment cards from a device, lowering bank transfer limits, blocking gambling merchant categories where a bank offers that setting, deleting apps and using a device-level blocker. A trusted person can help with account settings, but passwords and bank access should remain secure. These blocks can make an impulsive session harder to start while support addresses what is driving the urge.
For someone in a household with shared finances, a practical plan can include separate account alerts, a spending agreement and a pause on new credit. Any arrangement should protect the other person’s safety and autonomy; taking control of a partner’s wages without consent adds a separate risk to the relationship. A financial mentor or debt adviser can help a household discuss arrears and essential bills.
Household finances and personal safety
Supporting a friend or whānau member
Choose a private time when neither person is in the middle of a gambling session or argument. Describe what you have noticed-missed plans, unexplained withdrawals, stress or debt-without attaching a label. Ask an open question such as, “How is gambling affecting things for you at the moment?” Then listen long enough for the answer to be more than a denial.
Support can include firm limits on lending and access to money. Do not lend money that you cannot afford to lose, cover repeated debts without a plan or share account credentials. If household bills are at risk, prioritise housing, food, utilities and safety. A counsellor can support whānau and friends even when the person who gambles is not ready to attend.
Where a person is angry, intoxicated or threatening, focus first on immediate safety. A conversation about spending can wait. If someone may harm themselves or another person, treat the situation as urgent and seek emergency help.
Money recovery scams can follow gambling losses
People who have lost money may be targeted by someone claiming to recover it for a fee, find a guaranteed system or arrange a loan after checking an account. A request for payment upfront, a bank code, a crypto wallet seed phrase or remote access is a warning sign. A genuine support service does not need a gambling login or banking password.
A debt adviser works with existing balances, priority bills and repayment options; that role is different from a company promising to reverse a gambling result. No service can guarantee that a past loss will be refunded or that debt will disappear after an upfront fee. A pitch that mixes the language of counselling with a promise of financial recovery deserves particular caution.
Debt needs a plan separate from gambling
When gambling has created arrears, another bet or a high-cost loan can make the problem harder to unwind. List essential bills, minimum debt payments, due dates and creditors before making promises about a future win. A budgeting or debt service can help prioritise rent, food, utilities and legal obligations while a person blocks further gambling payments.
Do not pay a service that guarantees it can erase a gambling debt or recover losses for an upfront fee. A legitimate adviser will explain its role and costs clearly. Keep account statements and correspondence, and contact the lender if a payment is unmanageable. The Gambling Debt Helpline can discuss gambling-related financial pressure and available support.
A partner or parent can say “I cannot lend more money” while helping someone find a counsellor or financial mentor. Clear limits protect household stability and reduce the secrecy that can keep harm hidden.
When different services are useful
Support options by situation
- Recognising a change in daily life. Look for changes in money, time, mood, sleep, work, relationships and secrecy. Chasing losses, borrowing, spending more than intended and losing interest in other activities are common warning signs. A person does not need a diagnosis before asking for support.
- Support for family and whānau. Yes. The Gambling Helpline and specialist services can support people affected by somebody else’s gambling. Whānau can discuss financial boundaries, communication and their own wellbeing without waiting for the person gambling to attend.
- Limits of self-exclusion. Not necessarily. Exclusion may cover a specific venue or operator. Ask the provider what brands, products and periods it applies to, and consider additional barriers through bank settings, app blockers and support services.
- Emergency response. Call 111 if a person is in immediate danger or needs urgent emergency help.