ANZPLAY Responsible Play Australia
Keep Gambling as Entertainment
Responsible play means approaching gambling as paid entertainment rather than as a way to make money, recover financial losses or solve financial problems.
ANZPLAY users should consider how much money and time they spend, understand that gambling outcomes are uncertain and recognise when it may be appropriate to stop or seek support.
What Does Responsible Play Mean?
Gambling involves risk and uncertain outcomes. No online pokies game, casino game, promotion, bonus or VIP reward can guarantee a profit.
Responsible play is about making informed decisions before and during gambling activity. It includes deciding what you can afford to spend, monitoring time, understanding game and promotion conditions and being prepared to stop.
Set a Budget
Decide how much disposable entertainment money you can afford to spend before you begin.
Watch Your Time
Gambling should not interfere with work, sleep, relationships or other important parts of daily life.
Accept Uncertain Results
Do not treat previous losses as something that must be recovered through further gambling.
Set an Entertainment Budget Before You Play
A gambling budget should come from money that is genuinely available for discretionary entertainment after essential expenses and financial commitments have been considered.
Before Gambling, Consider
- How much money can I comfortably spend on entertainment?
- Have essential bills and living costs already been covered?
- Would losing this entire amount create financial difficulty?
- Am I increasing my planned spending because of a promotion?
- Am I trying to recover money lost earlier?
Money needed for rent, mortgage payments, food, utilities, transport, debt repayments, savings or other essential commitments should not be treated as gambling money.
Set Time Boundaries
Responsible gambling is not only about money. Time spent gambling can also affect everyday responsibilities and wellbeing.
Consider deciding in advance how much time you intend to spend and take regular breaks rather than continuing automatically from one game or session to another.
- Avoid allowing gambling to replace sleep or important daily activities.
- Take regular breaks away from the screen.
- Do not continue simply because you have already spent a long time playing.
- Stop when gambling is no longer enjoyable.
Do Not Chase Losses
Chasing losses means increasing or continuing gambling activity in an attempt to recover money already lost.
Moving to another game, increasing a bet, making another deposit or switching to another platform does not guarantee that earlier losses will be recovered.
If you reach the amount you planned to spend, stopping is generally safer than changing the budget in response to the result of a gambling session.
Promotions Should Not Determine Your Spending
Promotions can include eligibility rules, qualifying requirements and other conditions. A promotional offer should not be treated as a reason to spend more than originally planned.
Before participating in an ANZPLAY campaign, review the current ANZPLAY Promotions and read the Promotion Terms Guide.
- Do not increase a deposit solely to reach a higher promotional tier.
- Do not continue gambling simply to complete a promotion.
- Understand the applicable conditions before participating.
- Keep promotional activity inside your existing entertainment budget.
VIP Rewards and Responsible Play
VIP or loyalty-related rewards should also remain secondary to responsible spending decisions.
Do not increase gambling activity solely to reach a higher reward level or obtain a particular benefit. A reward does not make additional gambling financially necessary or guarantee a positive outcome.
For information about ANZPLAY's VIP section, see ANZPLAY VIP Rewards and the ANZPLAY VIP Guide.
Use One Budget Across Multiple Gambling Platforms
Users who access ANZPLAY as well as other gaming platforms should consider all gambling spending together.
Opening another account does not create another independent entertainment budget. Deposits made across ANZPLAY and other platforms still come from the same overall personal finances.
A Better Approach
- Set one total gambling or entertainment budget.
- Include activity across every gaming platform.
- Track total spending rather than viewing each account separately.
- Do not open another account merely to chase a new-user promotion.
- Do not move to another platform to try to recover a loss.
This is particularly relevant when exploring brands listed on the ANZPLAY Partnership page.
Warning Signs That Gambling May Be Becoming a Problem
Gambling behaviour can become harmful when it begins affecting finances, responsibilities, relationships or emotional wellbeing.
Warning signs can include:
- Spending more money than originally planned.
- Frequently increasing a gambling budget.
- Trying to recover losses through further gambling.
- Borrowing money to gamble.
- Using money intended for essential expenses.
- Hiding gambling activity or spending from other people.
- Feeling unable to stop when you intended to stop.
- Gambling for increasingly long periods.
- Allowing gambling to interfere with sleep, work or relationships.
- Feeling distressed, anxious or preoccupied because of gambling.
Experiencing one or more warning signs can be a reason to stop gambling and consider seeking appropriate support.
Do Not Gamble With Borrowed Money
Gambling with borrowed money can increase financial pressure because the debt remains regardless of the gambling outcome.
Credit, loans, money borrowed from friends or family and funds required for essential expenses should not be treated as an entertainment budget.
Understand the Games You Choose
Different games can have different rules, features and betting structures. Users should understand the basic rules and information displayed for a game before participating.
Gambling outcomes remain uncertain. A previous result does not guarantee what will happen next, and a game should not be treated as a reliable source of income.
For general platform navigation and game information, see the ANZPLAY Games & Entertainment Guide.
Keep Account Access Private
Responsible platform use also includes protecting account credentials. Do not share passwords or private verification information with other people.
Users should be cautious with unexpected messages, unfamiliar links and pages requesting account information.
Read the ANZPLAY Account Security Guide and ANZPLAY Privacy Policy for additional information.
When to Stop and Seek Support
If gambling is becoming difficult to control, affecting essential finances, causing distress or interfering with everyday life, consider stopping gambling and seeking support.
Getting Help
Australian users can consider established gambling-support services available in their state or territory. Support can also be sought from a qualified health professional, financial counsellor or another appropriate support service.
If the situation involves immediate danger or an urgent mental-health crisis, use the appropriate emergency or crisis-support service available in your location.
ANZPLAY users looking for platform-related assistance should use the support or communication options currently provided through the ANZPLAY platform.
Responsible Play Checklist
- Treat gambling as entertainment, not income.
- Set your budget before gambling.
- Use disposable entertainment money only.
- Keep essential expenses separate.
- Do not borrow money to gamble.
- Set reasonable time boundaries.
- Take regular breaks.
- Do not chase losses.
- Do not increase spending just to qualify for a promotion or reward.
- Track spending across every gambling platform together.
- Stop if gambling begins affecting your finances or wellbeing.
- Seek appropriate support when needed.
ANZPLAY Responsible Play FAQ
What is responsible gambling?
Responsible gambling involves treating gambling as entertainment, setting affordable spending and time boundaries, understanding that outcomes are uncertain and recognising when it is appropriate to stop.
Should gambling be treated as a way to make money?
No. Gambling outcomes are uncertain and should not be treated as a reliable source of income or a solution to financial problems.
What does chasing losses mean?
Chasing losses means continuing or increasing gambling activity in an attempt to recover money already lost.
Should I increase my budget for a promotion?
A promotion should not be used as a reason to spend beyond the entertainment budget you had already decided was affordable.
Should I use separate budgets for ANZPLAY and other platforms?
It is generally more useful to consider gambling spending across all platforms as part of one overall entertainment budget.
When should I consider getting help?
Consider seeking support if gambling is becoming difficult to control, affecting essential finances, causing distress or interfering with everyday responsibilities and relationships.