BetStop & self-exclusion in Australia

By Nathan Cole, pokies & iGaming analyst · Updated 13 July 2026 · Reading time ~10 min

If gambling has stopped feeling like fun and started feeling like a problem, deciding to step away is one of the bravest and most sensible things you can do. There is no shame in it, and you do not have to rely on willpower alone. Australia has a free national tool built for exactly this moment: BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion Register.

This guide explains what BetStop is, how it works, and how to register step by step. Just as importantly, it is honest about where BetStop stops – because offshore online casinos and pokie sites sit outside the Australian system, a national register alone will not block them. We will walk through the extra layers of protection that close that gap, from casino-level self-exclusion and deposit limits to blocking software, and point you to free, confidential support that is available around the clock.

What is BetStop?

BetStop is the National Self-Exclusion Register – a free service that lets any adult in Australia exclude themselves from all licensed Australian gambling operators in one go. It went live in August 2023 and is run for the Australian Government by an independent operator, with the register overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). You will find it at betstop.gov.au.

Before BetStop existed, self-exclusion in Australia was a patchwork. You could ask an individual betting company or venue to bar you, but you had to do it operator by operator, over and over, and a new brand was only ever a click away. BetStop replaced that scattered approach with a single national list. Register once and every operator that holds an Australian licence must check the register, refuse to open an account for you, close any account you already hold, and stop sending you gambling marketing.

It is genuinely free. There is no fee to join, no fee to stay on the list, and no catch. BetStop is a consumer protection service, not a commercial product, and it does not appear on your credit file or affect your credit score. Its only purpose is to put a firm, government-backed barrier between you and licensed gambling for as long as you choose.

How BetStop works

The idea behind BetStop is simple: register once, and you are blocked everywhere the Australian system reaches. You do not have to contact each betting company yourself. Once you are on the register, the obligation shifts to the operators. Every licensed Australian gambling provider is legally required to screen against BetStop, so a single registration ripples out across all of them at the same time.

What operators must do

While you are registered, a licensed Australian operator must not open a new account for you, must close or suspend any existing account, must not accept a bet from you, and must not send you direct gambling advertising such as emails, texts or app notifications. This covers licensed online and phone-based services – think Australian-licensed sports and race betting, and licensed lottery and Keno services offered online.

You choose how long

BetStop puts the length of the exclusion in your hands. You can choose any period from a minimum of three months up to a lifetime exclusion, and everything in between. Whatever you pick, the exclusion is designed to be a firm commitment: it cannot be cancelled or shortened once it has started. That deliberate one-way design is a feature, not a flaw – it protects the calm, clear-headed decision you make today from being undone in a difficult moment later.

When a fixed term reaches its end, it does not simply switch off. Your exclusion continues until you actively ask to be removed, and a short cooling-off period applies before that removal takes effect. If you registered for life, there is no removal option at all. The register also lets you list your details so operators can find you reliably, and it takes privacy seriously – your information is used to enforce the exclusion, not to market to you.

How to register with BetStop, step by step

Registering is quick and can be done entirely online in a few minutes. You will need some basic identity details so the register can be matched accurately against operator records. Here is the process from start to finish:

1. Go to the official site. Open betstop.gov.au in your browser. Check the web address carefully – only use the official government site, never a link from an ad or a message you did not expect.
2. Start a registration. Choose the option to register for self-exclusion and begin the online form. There is also a phone option if you would rather speak to someone.
3. Enter your personal details. Provide your name, date of birth, and contact details such as email and mobile number. These are used to identify you accurately across operators.
4. Verify your identity. You will confirm your identity, typically using an identity document such as a driver licence or passport, so the exclusion can be enforced reliably.
5. Choose your exclusion length. Select any period from three months up to a lifetime. Take a moment here – remember you cannot shorten it later, so pick a length that protects you properly.
6. Confirm and submit. Review your details and submit. Your exclusion generally takes effect almost immediately once registration is complete.
7. Delete the temptation. With the register in place, remove betting apps from your phone, unsubscribe from any promotional emails, and consider adding blocking software (covered below) to reinforce the barrier.

If you get stuck at any point, BetStop offers support to help you through the process, and Gambling Help Online counsellors can talk it through with you as well. You do not have to do this alone.

BetStop and offshore casinos: the gap you must know about

This is the most important caveat on the page, and one many sites skip over. BetStop only covers operators that hold an Australian licence. The online casinos and pokie sites that accept Australian players are, without exception, licensed offshore – most often in Curacao, sometimes Malta – because Australian law does not permit locally licensed online casinos. That means they are outside the Australian system entirely, and BetStop cannot block them.

It is a hard truth, but knowing it is what keeps you safe. If you register with BetStop expecting it to shut down every gambling website you can reach, and then find an offshore pokie site still lets you sign up, that gap can feel like a trapdoor at the worst possible moment. So plan for it. BetStop is a strong and worthwhile first layer, but for online pokies and casino play you need to build extra layers on top of it.

Think of it as three walls rather than one. BetStop handles the licensed Australian operators. Casino-level self-exclusion handles the specific offshore sites where you have an account. Blocking software handles everything else by cutting off access at your device or network. No single tool is perfect on its own, but together they make gambling genuinely hard to reach when you are trying to stop.

Casino self-exclusion & deposit limits

Because offshore casinos sit outside BetStop, the tools you set up inside those sites matter a great deal. Any reputable casino, even an offshore one, is expected to offer responsible-gambling controls in the account settings. If a site offers none at all, that is a serious red flag and a reason to walk away.

Self-exclusion at the casino

Most casinos let you self-exclude directly through your account or by contacting support. You can usually choose a cooling-off period (a short break of days or weeks) or a longer self-exclusion of months or years. When you exclude, the site should lock your account and stop sending you promotions. Do this at every offshore site where you hold an account, one by one – there is no shared register for them, so each has to be handled separately.

Deposit, loss and session limits

If you are not ready to exclude entirely, limits are the next best safeguard. Setting these while you are calm and clear-headed protects you later, when it is much harder to hold the line:

• Deposit limits – cap how much you can pay in per day, week or month.
• Loss limits – cap how much you can lose over a set period.
• Session and time limits – limit how long you can play in one sitting.
• Reality checks – pop-up reminders of how long you have been playing.
• Time-outs – a short, immediate break of 24 hours up to a few weeks.

A word of caution: limits you can raise instantly are weaker than limits with a built-in delay. Good operators make it easy to tighten a limit straight away but apply a waiting period before any increase. When you set yours, set them low – you can live within a firm limit far more easily than you can resist raising a loose one.

Other help and support

Tools like BetStop and deposit limits build the barriers, but real support comes from people. If gambling is weighing on you, reaching out to a counsellor is not a last resort – it is often the single most useful step, and it is free and confidential.

Gambling Help Online is the national service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost. You can call 1800 858 858 to speak with a trained counsellor any time, or use the online chat at gamblinghelponline.org.au if you would rather not talk on the phone. Support is available not only for the person gambling but also for family members and friends who are worried about someone they love.

There is no wrong reason to make contact. You do not need to be in crisis, and you do not need to have hit rock bottom. Counsellors can help you make a plan, talk through self-exclusion, and connect you with local face-to-face services if that suits you better. Many people say the hardest part was picking up the phone the first time – and that afterwards they only wished they had done it sooner.

Blocking software: the third wall

Blocking software is the layer that catches everything BetStop and casino self-exclusion cannot – especially those offshore sites outside the Australian system. It works at the level of your device or network, quietly preventing gambling websites and apps from loading at all. When the temptation strikes, a site that simply will not open is a powerful thing.

The best known dedicated tool is Gamban, which installs across your computers and phones and blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites and apps. Similar products include GamBlock and BetBlocker (a free option run by a charity). These are purpose-built for gambling, kept up to date as new sites appear, and designed to be hard to switch off on impulse.

You can also add broader controls: many banks let you turn on a gambling block that declines gambling transactions on your card, and network or router-level filters can block gambling across every device in your home. Layering a couple of these together works best – one tool can be worked around, but several together make access genuinely difficult.

• Gamban – paid, installs on all your devices, blocks a huge list of gambling sites and apps.
• BetBlocker – free, charity-run, covers many devices.
• GamBlock – long-established gambling-specific blocker.
• Bank card gambling block – free, offered in many Australian banking apps.

Frequently asked questions