BetStop, Australia's National Self-Exclusion Register, has been mandatory for every ACMA-licensed online wagering operator since 21 August 2023. If gambling is affecting your finances, relationships, or wellbeing, you can self-exclude from every licensed operator at once at betstop.gov.au, or call Gambling Help on 1800 858 858 (free, 24/7).
What BetStop is and why it matters
BetStop is the Australian Government's National Self-Exclusion Register for online and phone-based wagering. Before BetStop launched, a person wanting to self-exclude from gambling had to contact each bookmaker individually — a slow process that made it easy to keep an active account at an operator you had forgotten to exclude from. Since BetStop became mandatory on 21 August 2023, every operator holding an ACMA-recognised wagering licence must check new and existing customers against the register and honour an exclusion immediately.
Registering for BetStop takes a few minutes at betstop.gov.au and requires identity verification. You choose an exclusion period — from three months up to a lifetime ban — and the exclusion applies across every ACMA-licensed interactive wagering operator simultaneously, including every bookmaker featured on this site. BetStop registration is free. Once selected, an exclusion period cannot be reversed early.
Deposit limits and other mandatory responsible gambling tools
Alongside BetStop, the National Consumer Protection Framework (NCPF) for online wagering requires every ACMA-licensed operator to offer account-level tools including deposit limits (daily, weekly, or monthly), activity statements, and voluntary opt-out from direct marketing. Deposit limit reductions take effect immediately; increases require a mandatory cooling-off period before they apply — this asymmetry is a deliberate regulatory design, not an operator inconsistency.
Credit betting — wagering using credit extended by the bookmaker — is illegal in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. If any operator offers you a credit facility for betting, do not use it and report it to ACMA at acma.gov.au.
The 2018 inducement ad ban: what operators cannot offer you
Since 2018, Australian law has prohibited licensed wagering operators from advertising sign-up or deposit bonus offers ("bonus bets") to attract new customers. This site does not quote or promote any sign-up or deposit bonus figure for any bookmaker — if an operator's own site references a current promotion, that is between you and the operator directly, and terms can change without notice.
The NCPF further restricts unsolicited bonus bet inducements to existing customers: operators cannot text, email, or push-notify you with a bonus bet offer unless you have specifically opted in to receive marketing communications. If you receive an unsolicited gambling promotion, you can report it to ACMA.
Looking ahead: further Australian wagering-advertising reforms — including television ad caps and watersheds, and a ban on celebrity or player endorsements — are scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2027. These reforms are not yet in force as of the date this page was last reviewed.
Free gambling support services in Australia
- Gambling Help: 1800 858 858 — free, confidential, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Gambling Help Online: gamblinghelponline.org.au — live chat and self-help resources.
- BetStop: betstop.gov.au — the National Self-Exclusion Register, mandatory since 21 August 2023.
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 — mental health support, including the impacts of problem gambling.
- National Debt Helpline: 1800 007 007 — free, independent financial counselling.
These services are independent of AFL Tipster and of every bookmaker referenced on this site. If betting has stopped being enjoyable, or you are chasing losses, borrowing to bet, or hiding your betting from people close to you, these are signs it is time to reach out. Gambling Help: 1800 858 858 (free, 24/7).