Staying Safe and Protecting Your Finances

When a loved one is gambling, it’s vital to look after yourself, stay safe, and protect your finances.

Even if you trust your family member, partner, or friend, gambling harm may change their behaviour.

Evidence suggests a correlation between gambling harm and domestic abuse, including financial abuse (Australian Institute of Family Studies). It’s critical to take precautions that can help minimise the impact that their gambling may have on you.

Staying safe when a loved one is gambling

Support is available

Emergency services

If you are in immediate danger, please call 000

Call 000

Lifeline

Lifeline provides 24/7 crisis support.

Lifeline website
Call Lifeline at 11 13 14
Text Lifeline at 0477 13 11 14

Call 11 13 14

Gambling Help

Gambling Help assists those affected by someone else’s gambling.
It’s free, confidential, and 24/7.

Call 1800 858 858

Keeping yourself safe

There are ways you can protect yourself and your family from someone else’s gambling harm. Even if their gambling hasn’t become harmful yet, it doesn’t hurt to take some preventative steps.

If you have children, prioritise them
Stay connected with family and friends
Be compassionate and gentle with yourself
Try not to overexert or overcommit yourself in helping someone else
Talk to someone about what’s happening – a loved one or a Gambling Help counsellor.

Protecting your finances

Gambling harm can change someone’s relationship with money and finances. You might find yourself trying to provide financial help to the person who’s gambling – whether you’re loaning them cash, paying their way at social outings, or taking on their share of financial responsibilities in your household.
Even though you may trust your family member, partner, or friend, gambling may change the way they behave or how they treat you and others.

Here are some precautions you can take to protect your finances:

Check and open your own mail
Learn the signs of financial abuse
Set aside an “escape fund” – just in case
Keep your bank cards and money in a safe place
Regularly check your bank statements / banking app
If you lend them money, put it in writing and have a repayment plan
Close or separate any joint bank accounts you have with that person
Speak to your bank about specialised support for those impacted by gambling
Update your bank log-in details and pin codes and set up a two-factor authentication

Financial abuse

Financial abuse is when someone controls, manipulates, or restricts access to your own money and finances.
Financial abuse can be hard to identify, especially because of gender and cultural norms related to money.
A Queensland study found a strong correlation between male partners experiencing gambling harm and perpetrating financial abuse (AIFS).

Signs of financial abuse in relation to gambling can include:

Stealing from you
Controlling your finances
Gambling with your money
Being secretive about their finances
Racking up debt on joint credit cards
Not having money despite their wage
Spending shared money on gambling
Coercing you to take out a loan or credit card
Offloading shared financial responsibilities onto you
Not being able to contribute to bills because of gambling
Asking friends or family to borrow money for gambling and not paying it back to them