Gambling is meant to be entertainment, not a way to make money or to dig out of a hole. This page sets out the tools that help you keep it that way, the Australian support services that are there when it stops being fun, and the practical steps you can take today to stay in control of your play at RichPrize or anywhere else.
RichPrize holds no Australian licence and is regulated offshore, which makes it doubly important that you set your own limits: the safeguards a locally licensed operator must apply are not guaranteed here, so the responsibility to play within your means sits squarely with you.
Know the warning signs
Problem gambling rarely arrives all at once. It builds through small habits that feel harmless in the moment. Watch for these patterns in yourself and in the people you play alongside:
- Betting more than you planned, or topping up a deposit straight after a loss to “win it back”.
- Gambling with money set aside for rent, bills, food or your family.
- Chasing losses — increasing stakes to recover what you have already lost.
- Lying about how much time or money you spend playing.
- Feeling anxious, irritable or low when you are not gambling.
- Borrowing money, selling possessions or missing work to fund play.
- Gambling to escape stress, loneliness or boredom rather than for enjoyment.
If two or more of these ring true, it is worth talking to one of the free, confidential services listed below. None of them will judge you, and all of them are used to hearing from people long before a problem becomes a crisis.
Australian support services
| Service | Contact | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling Help Online | 1800 858 858 · gamblinghelponline.org.au | Free 24/7 counselling by phone and live chat, Australia-wide |
| BetStop | betstop.gov.au | The national self-exclusion register — block yourself from all licensed Australian operators in one step |
| Lifeline | 13 11 14 | 24/7 crisis support for anyone in emotional distress |
| National Debt Helpline | 1800 007 007 | Free financial counselling if gambling has caused debt |
| Gambler’s Help (VIC) | 1800 858 858 | Face-to-face and phone counselling across Victoria |
These services are free and confidential. You do not need a referral, and you can call on behalf of someone you are worried about rather than yourself.
Tools you can use right now
Deposit and loss limits
The single most effective control is a deposit limit set before you play, not after a bad session. Decide what you can genuinely afford to lose in a week, set it, and treat it as fixed. If an operator lets you raise a limit instantly but delays lowering it, that delay is intentional: it stops heat-of-the-moment decisions.
Session reminders and time-outs
Time disappears quickly in a pokies session. A reality-check reminder every 30 or 60 minutes breaks the trance and gives you a moment to decide whether to keep going. A short cooling-off period — 24 hours to a few weeks — locks you out without closing the account permanently.
Self-exclusion
If limits are not enough, self-exclusion removes access altogether. For Australian-licensed operators, RichPrize casino information aside, the national tool is BetStop, which blocks you from every licensed operator at once. Because RichPrize is offshore, BetStop does not cover it. You would need to request self-exclusion directly with the operator through account verification and support, and to use device-level blocking software as a backstop.
Protecting the people around you
Keep gambling away from anyone under 18: that means not sharing accounts, not letting minors watch you play as entertainment, and keeping login details private. Blocking software such as Gamban or GamBlock can be installed on the whole household’s devices if someone is trying to stay away from gambling sites.
Set your own rules before you play
A few simple rules, decided in advance, prevent most problems: set a budget and never exceed it; set a time limit; never gamble under the influence of alcohol; never chase losses; and treat any winnings as a bonus to walk away with, not a bankroll to keep feeding. Our our terms of service and the operator’s own conditions both assume you are playing within your means. If you ever cannot stick to those rules on your own, that is exactly what the services above are for. Reviewing your withdrawal controls and pulling winnings out rather than recycling them is another practical habit that keeps play in check.
Why offshore play needs extra care
An Australian-licensed operator is bound by local consumer protections: mandatory activity statements, enforced deposit-limit tools, and participation in BetStop. RichPrize is licensed offshore, so those specific protections are not guaranteed. BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, blocks Australian-licensed operators but does not reach an offshore casino; self-excluding through BetStop will not stop you accessing RichPrize. That gap is the single most important thing to understand about playing here safely: the safety net you might assume is there is thinner than it would be at a locally licensed site, which shifts more of the responsibility onto the tools you set yourself and the device-level blocking software you install.
Helping someone else
If you are worried about a friend or family member, you do not need their permission to seek advice. Gambling Help Online counsels affected family members as well as players, and can talk you through how to raise the subject and what practical steps — from blocking software to financial counselling — are available. Approaching the conversation without blame, and focusing on the behaviour rather than the person, tends to work better than confrontation.
Gambling can be harmful. If it has stopped being fun, stop and reach out. Gambling Help Online is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day on 1800 858 858. You must be 18 or over to gamble in Australia.