A new self-imposed online betting ban is one important piece of the tool box to help tackle problem punting, a leading community gambling awareness expert says.
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Child and Family Services in Ballarat has welcomed the federal government-run, self-exclusion register BetStop, which launched on August 21.
Cafs community engagement officer Linda Borner said it could be extremely easy to entice anyone into gambling, particularly with a bombardment of online gambling advertising.
Those who sign up will be prevented from placing a bet or opening a betting account online or on the phone.
Betting companies are also prohibited from directly marketing to people on the register. This included email and SMS campaigns.
"It's important we welcome this into a suite of help services out there. There's not one thing that's going to help everyone," Ms Borner said.
"There's the Not a Dollar More podcast, which is a soft entry point to gambling and how it affects you. It shares others' stories and that's an important way to break the stigma.
"...When people have a negative experience and there are side effects, they often blame themselves even though the bombardment on their screens has negative impacts."
Ms Borner said gambling was a major public health issue. She said gambling addiction did not discriminate on your education, how much money you had or where you lived.
We have all been "exposed constantly", Ms Borner said, with an estimated 900 online betting advertisements shown on free-to-air television daily.
Online betting has also become normalised in broadcasts, such as sporting matches, where live odds updates were a constant feature.
All betting companies are now also required to verify customer identification when customers register for a new account and before they place a bet.
This comes into play ahead of AFL and NRL finals series and the spring racing carnival, which are recognised high betting periods.
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Ms Borner hoped the new BetStop register could at least be a prompt for people to consider seeking advice and support.
"Talk to a person you trust, have a look at the Gambler's Help website or call the hotline 1800 858 858 or come into Cafs where we have free financial and therapeutic counselling," Ms Borner said.
"Cafs can always come into any community group or profession to speak about gambling harm, too."
If you or someone you know are in need of gambling help:
Gambler's Help: 1800 858 858
Cafs: 1800 692 237
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