Pokies are one of Australia’s most popular forms of gambling. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, roughly 38% of Australians who gamble regularly play the pokies, and electronic gaming machines account for around half of all gambling losses nationally. For many players, a casual session stays casual, but for others it can quietly become a habit that’s hard to step away from. Taking a deliberate break is one of the most effective ways to reset your relationship with the machines. Read more about this at crypto casinos.
The good news is that Australia has built strong support structures for exactly this purpose. Whether you want a short pause of a few weeks or a permanent change, there are practical tools, legal options and free services available. This guide walks through the most reliable methods.
Use Self-Exclusion and Formal Tools
Every state and territory in Australia operates a self-exclusion scheme, usually administered through the local gambling regulator. Signing up typically bans you from all venues with gaming machines in your area for a set period, commonly six months, with the option to extend. Venues are legally required to enforce it, and staff are trained to identify excluded patrons.
If you’d rather not commit to a full exclusion, venue-level options are less formal but still useful. Many clubs and pubs allow you to request a voluntary ban from a single location, and some will remove you from loyalty programs on request. Third-party software such as Gamban or BetBlocker works on phones and computers, though it cannot block a physical machine inside a venue.
The national self-exclusion register, BetStop, launched in 2023 and covers online wagering operators. It doesn’t apply to physical pokies, but if you also bet online, registering takes about five minutes and blocks you from every licensed Australian operator.
Build Practical Barriers and Replace the Routine
- Set a hard cash limit before you leave home and leave cards behind.
- Change your route so you don’t pass your usual venue.
- Tell one person you trust about the break and check in with them weekly.
- Fill the time slot with something scheduled, such as a class, a walk or a catch-up.
Pokies sessions often fill a specific gap, whether that’s boredom on a Tuesday night or a way to decompress after work. Removing the activity without replacing it rarely lasts. Research on habit change consistently shows that substituting a competing behaviour in the same time and place is far more effective than relying on willpower alone.
Financial barriers work well too. Lower your daily card limit with your bank, switch to a separate account with a small balance, or ask a partner or friend to hold your debit card for the duration of the break. These steps cost nothing and remove the friction-free access that makes spontaneous sessions so easy.
Know Where to Get Free Help
Gambling Help Online offers 24/7 chat and email support at no cost, and the national helpline on 1800 858 858 is staffed around the clock. Both connect you with trained counsellors who specialise in gambling behaviour, and the service is confidential.
Face-to-face counselling is also free in every state through government-funded providers, typically offering six to twelve sessions. For anyone who prefers peer support, Gamblers Anonymous runs regular meetings across most metropolitan and regional centres.
Taking a break doesn’t require a dramatic decision. It usually starts with one clear step, such as a self-exclusion form or a phone call, followed by a plan for what fills the space left behind. Most people who take a structured break of even four to six weeks report a noticeable drop in urges.
