BetStop Explained: What the Self-Exclusion Register Covers

Last updated 23 October 2026 · by the Aussie Top Casinos editors

BetStop shuts out every licensed Australian online bookmaker for at least three months. It does not reach pokies or offshore casinos. Here is what does.

Scored by our five weighted checks · casino links earn us a commission, never a place in the order · Online casinos are not licensed in Australia (Interactive Gambling Act 2001) · 18+

BetStop is Australia's national self-exclusion register for online and phone betting. One registration shuts you out of every licensed Australian wagering provider for at least three months. What it does not do is just as important: it does not reach pokie venues, land-based casinos or the offshore online casinos that Australians can still find on the web. This guide sets out exactly what BetStop covers, and the other tools that fill the gaps: device blockers such as Gamban, bank gambling blocks, and casino-level self-exclusion.

What BetStop is

BetStop is a free government register that launched in August 2023. It is run for ACMA by Dataworks Group Limited. According to its own site, registering excludes you from "all online and phone wagering providers licensed in Australia in one go".

• Cost: free.
• Length: a minimum of three months, up to a lifetime exclusion.
• Who runs it: Dataworks Group Limited, for ACMA.
• Who it binds: licensed Australian online and phone wagering providers.

What providers must do once you register

BetStop's site sets out the obligations. Licensed providers must not open an account for you, must not accept bets from you, and must not send you direct marketing. Existing accounts must be closed and any credit in them refunded. If a provider breaks those rules, complaints go to ACMA.

Registration help is available by phone: the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission's launch notice lists 1800 238 786 as the BetStop contact line.

What BetStop covers and what it does not

The gap at the bottom of the table matters most for readers of a casino site. BetStop states it "does not apply to online casino games or other gambling services that are illegally provided in Australia." Online casino games are prohibited services under the Interactive Gambling Act, so no licensed Australian operator offers them, and the offshore sites that do are outside the register. If online pokies or casino games are the problem, BetStop on its own will not block them.

In-venue gambling is the other gap. The VGCCC's notice says BetStop does not cover pokie machines, casinos or TAB outlets. Venues and casinos run their own state-based exclusion schemes, which you need to arrange separately.

Device blockers: Gamban and similar tools

Blocking software works on the device rather than the account, so it can stop access to offshore casinos that BetStop cannot reach. Gamban describes itself as taking "a multi-layered approach to blocking tens of thousands of gambling websites and apps worldwide". Its site says one licence covers all your devices, installs across major platforms, and offers a seven-day free trial.

A blocker has limits. It covers only the devices you install it on, and a determined user can find another device. It works best as one layer among several, which is also how Gamban itself suggests using it.

Bank gambling blocks

Several banks offer a way to block gambling transactions on your cards. Because the block works on the payment, it applies whether the merchant is licensed or offshore. CommBank's gambling support page is a clear example of how these work:

• A self-service gambling block can be turned on in the CommBank app or NetBank for eligible credit and debit cards.
• Turning it off has a 48-hour cooling-off period, so it cannot be undone on impulse.
• A separate gambling and cash block on credit cards runs for six months and is set up by phone on 1800 222 387.

CommBank is also frank about the limits: "some transactions may still go through", and transactions that are not sent to the bank for authorisation cannot be blocked. Payments that are disguised or routed through a third party, including crypto bought elsewhere, can slip past a card block. Other banks have their own versions with different names and rules, so check your bank's support pages.

Since 11 June 2024, licensed wagering providers have also been barred from accepting credit cards and crypto. That law does not reach offshore casinos, which is another reason the bank's own block is useful.

Casino-level self-exclusion

Offshore casinos usually offer their own self-exclusion or account closure in the account settings or through support. It applies only to that casino, and often to sister sites run by the same company if the terms say so. Because these sites are outside Australian law, there is no regulator here to enforce the exclusion. Ask for written confirmation, unsubscribe from marketing, and pair it with a device blocker and a bank block.

Deposit limits, loss limits and session reminders are softer tools offered by many sites. They help with budgeting but are not exclusion. Our responsible gambling page explains the difference.

Which tool closes which gap

Each tool works at a different point: the account, the device, the payment or the venue. Laid side by side, the gaps in one are covered by another.

No single row covers everything. That is why services and blockers alike suggest using several layers at once.

How people slip through, and what to do about it

• A second device. A blocker on your phone does nothing on a work laptop or a partner's tablet. Install it everywhere you can, and consider who else has devices in the house.
• A second bank. A block on one bank's cards does not stop a card from another bank. Turn the block on at every bank you use, or close cards you do not need.
• Crypto bought elsewhere. Money moved to a crypto exchange and then to an offshore casino may never pass through a card block. A device blocker is the stronger defence here.
• Marketing. Licensed providers must stop direct marketing once you register with BetStop. Offshore sites are not bound by that rule, so unsubscribe and block their emails as well.
• Short exclusions ending. A three-month BetStop exclusion ends when its period expires. If you are not sure, a longer period is easier to live with than a gap that opens unexpectedly.

If you are supporting someone else, BetStop's site notes that it never releases personal information about people on the register or their support people. Conversations with a counsellor can help both of you plan which layers to use.

A layered plan that covers the gaps

1. Register with BetStop to close licensed online and phone betting.
2. Install a blocker such as Gamban on every phone, tablet and computer you use.
3. Turn on your bank's gambling block on all cards, and ask about credit-card blocks.
4. Close or self-exclude from any offshore casino accounts, in writing.
5. Arrange venue exclusion through your state scheme if pokies or casinos are part of the problem.
6. Talk to someone. Support is free and confidential.

Where to get help

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation lists 1800 858 858 for free, confidential support, available 24/7, through Gambler's Help. Talking to someone can also help you choose which of the tools above suits you best.

If you still gamble, set limits before you start. Our guides to safe online casinos, legal online casinos and online gambling in Australia explain where the law draws its lines, and minimum deposit options keep the amount at risk small.

FAQ

Sources

1. BetStop: About
2. VGCCC: BetStop national self-exclusion register has launched
3. CommBank: Gambling support
4. Gamban
5. Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation

More from the blog

• Bonus termsWagering on the Bonus or on Deposit Plus Bonus: What 35x Really Means"35x" can mean A$7,000 or A$14,000 of bets on the same A$200 bonus. How to spot the base, apply game weighting and price the offer.
• Pokies mathsSame Pokie, Different RTP: How to Check the Version Your Casino RunsThe same pokie can pay 96.50% at one casino and 94.50% at another. Here is how to read the build in the game rules and what the gap costs in A$.
• TaxGambling Winnings and Tax in Australia: What the ATO SaysFor most Australians a casino win is not taxed. The ATO ruling, the professional gambler test, offshore sites and the CGT catch with crypto.