Understand
It helps to understand the signs of gambling harm, and that gambling is the problem, not the person. People may have parts of themselves that want to gamble, and other parts that don’t. Understanding that it is not so easy to simply stop gambling, and understanding more about addiction will help you to support them.

Listen
It is important to remember that a person may be feeling a lot of guilt, shame and embarrassment, and so being as understanding and empathetic as you can will help. Being accepting of the person, creating a safe non-judgemental space and listening to them and letting them know you care is really important. Let them know you are willing to help.

Connect
It can feel emotionally stressful to have a person close to you affected by gambling. In the ACT, as a friend or family member you can connect with FREE counselling support from the ACT Gambling Counselling and Support Service (1800 858 858) or Gambling Help Online. Professional support can help you to better understand their gambling and how you can best support them. They can also connect with the same professional services themselves. Often people do not know about professional services, or are too embarrassed to seek help. People often think that if they go for professional help they need to completely stop gambling, or that the service will be expensive, which is not the case.