Gambler’s Help

Our therapeutic counsellors offer personalised, one-on-one sessions tailored to your needs.  These sessions will redefine your perspective on gambling, empowering you to regain control.   Get the strategies and ongoing support to reduce your gambling or overcome the urges for good.   

Your well-being matters, and we are here to support you.   

Reach out, start your journey, take advantage of our cost-free, transformative support today.  

Email  ghnortheastvic@gatewayhealth.org.au   

95 per cent of people felt better emotionally or psychologically after speaking to Gambler’s Help.  

Self-exclusion is a free program where you ban yourself from gaming venues or online gambling. We can help you with this.  

Self-exclusion can be a great first step toward getting help with gambling. From there, you can access additional support, including counselling (in-person, online, or by phone), financial counselling, peer support, and services for family and friends affected by gambling. 

Email  ghnortheastvic@gatewayhealth.org.au   

Our financial counselling service is offered to people who are experiencing financial stress due to gambling. Support is provided to guide you through the alternatives available for client-directed solutions.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by money worries, please book a session with us as soon as possible. We understand it’s a major step and if you get support early, you will have many more options.  

Email ghnortheastvic@gatewayhealth.org.au  

95 per cent of people felt more in control of their finances after working with Gambler’s Help.

Working within the public health framework to prevent gambling-related harms, by:

• Fostering deep collaboration with diverse communities to support community led initiatives; and,
• Collaborating closely with cross-sector programs and organizations to integrate gambling harm identification and responses across different services and systems.  

Drawing on the latest research, this free program supports secondary school communities to help young people develop informed attitudes to gambling.

The whole-of-school approach of Be Ahead of the Game empowers teachers, parents, carers, and students to better understand the issues and support each other.

For further information please visit https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/reducing-harm/schools/  or contact our team at  ghnortheastvic@gatewayhealth.org.au  for information and bookings.

We offer Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG) training for the Hume catchment.

To learn more about RSG requirements and to complete online modules 1 or 3, please visit https://rsgonline.vic.gov.au/ and to make a booking for face-to-face modules 2 or 4 please contact our team at ghnortheastvic@gatewayhealth.org.au  

Often, but not always, gambling harm co-relates with or causes poor mental health, family violence and substance harm.     

Learn to identify and respond to gambling harm 

Gambler’s Health Gateway Health provides specialised education and expert advice for health and welfare professionals on identifying and responding to gambling harm. 

As a professional in health, community, or welfare sectors, you are likely to encounter individuals and families affected by gambling. Our team offers training, guidance, secondary consultation, and referral support to help you confidently respond to gambling-related issues. 

Integrate gambling harm into your practice 

Gambler’s Help Gateway Health offers collaborative partnerships, connected care and co-design to empower you to integrate gambling harm into your practice, intake system and programs.  

 Contact us

For professional development training or presentations, resources, secondary consultation, warm referrals, care coordination, and collaborative partnerships, please email ghnortheastvic@gatewayhealth.org.au 

During your first few sessions, your counsellor will focus on getting to know you. They will ask about your current situation and personal history, exploring more than just your gambling patterns. You’ll talk about your relationships, work, day-to-day life, general stressors, other potentially addictive patterns, and more that might be affecting you. 

Your counsellor will also check in on your overall mood and mental health, asking about potential symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, or other concerns. This process is called an “assessment” and helps your counsellor understand the full picture. 

Following, you’ll work together to set goals and create a plan that fits your needs. You might explore whether an abstinence approach or reducing your gambling is the best option for you.  

Depending on your needs, counselling can cover the following.

• Understanding why you may have developed difficulties with gambling 
• Understanding what your triggers are to gamble 
• Understanding what might be getting in the way of you stopping or reducing gambling 
• Learning skills and strategies to manage the urge to gamble 
• Learning skills and strategies to manage general mental health, and improving overall social and emotional wellbeing 
• Identifying and modifying negative or unhelpful patterns of thinking 
• Building healthy ways to manage feelings of stress, anxiety, low mood and loneliness 
• Processing past traumas 
• Building a support network 
• Developing healthy relationships with people in your life 
• Providing recommendations for programs, apps, websites, and self-help resources that can assist you in managing your gambling urges 
• Self –exclusion (or self-banning) through providing information and support to access gaming venue self-exclusion programs and BetStop for all licensed interactive wagering services 
• Referral options including free access to Gambling Minds, a statewide service. A psychiatrist or registrar will work with you and your current treatment providers, such as Gambler’s Help, to create a personalised treatment plan if both gambling and mental ill health are impacting your life. https://www.gamblingminds.org.au/about-us/our-services/psychiatric-assessment-and-treatment-recommendations/ 

What is financial counselling? 

Gambler’s Help Financial counselling is a free and confidential service offered to people who are experiencing any of the following money problems due to gambling. 

• Trouble keeping up with bills and other commitments 
• Contact from debt collectors 
• Eviction 
• Tax debt 
• Utility disconnection 
• Default notices 

How can a financial counsellor help me? 

Financial counsellors are skilled professionals who can: 

• Help you to assess, consolidate and manage debt; 
• Work with you to set financial goals and create a budget; 
• Negotiate with creditors on your behalf about repayment arrangements; 
• Check if you’re eligible for government support; 
• Help you apply for hardship variations on existing loans; and,
• Explain the risks of bankruptcy or accessing your super early and guide you through the alternatives available. 

To have a plan, along with the professional support to see it through, can be a great relief. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by money worries, please book a session with one of our financial counsellors as soon as possible. If you get help early, you will have many more options. 

What happens in the first session of financial counselling? 

The service is free, independent and non-judgmental. Financial counsellors want to support you and they understand that it’s a major step to seek help about your finances. 

The aim at the first appointment is to gather information, understand what your goals are and start a plan. Your financial counsellor will: 

• Ask questions regarding your finances and goals;
• Complete some program consents, privacy and confidentiality agreements;
• Explain what a financial counsellor can and can’t do (they may refer you to other services such as Gambler’s Help therapeutic counsellors, family support or legal aid); 
• Let you know how many appointments you may need (generally it’s between two and five appointments);  and,
• Whether they can communicate with you via email and phone. 

If a situation is urgent (for example, if you have received a disconnection notice for your electricity) your financial counsellor can contact the supplier during the appointment and advocate for you immediately. 

What do I need to bring during financial counselling? 

To make things easier, it helps to bring in any of the following documents about your financial situation. 

• Bills 
• Bank statements 
• Contracts 
• Letters, or other paperwork 
• Centrelink income statements

This is helpful because the financial counsellor might ask detailed questions about your financial commitments. 

These questions will help them support you. Often there are times when they contact the bank or credit provider on your behalf (with your permission) to discuss your options. 

• Meet your needs as the person seeking support, ensuring choice and control; 
• Be free, accessible and close to where you live; 
• Achieve high quality standards through being informed by evidence, delivered by trained professionals and monitored for effectiveness; 
• Be responsive to local community needs and emerging challenges; and, 
• Enable you to seek the breadth of support you need, recognising that gambling harm does not occur in isolation. 

• https://gamblershelp.com.au/learn-about-gambling/personal-stories/  Personal gambling harm stories 
• https://notadollarmore.org.au/about/  Gambling harm Podcast 
• http://www.linkhc.org.au/three-sides-of-the-coin/ https:// Gambling harm lived experience performances 
• https://gamblershelp.com.au/ Gambler’s Help with tools and recourses 
• https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/ Online gambling support 
• https://bchs.org.au/services/gambling-support/peer-connection/what-is-peer-connection/   Peer Support 
• https://gamblershelp.com.au/learn-about-gambling/gambling-and-how-it-affects-the-brain/ Gambling and how it affects the brain 
• https://gamblershelp.com.au/support-someone/  How to support someone with gambling addiction  
• Gambler’s Help National 24/7 phone 1800 858 858