Responsible Gaming.
We've made this page longer than the law requires because we'd rather you find what you need than meet a minimum word count. Gambling is entertainment for most people who play; for a small but real percentage, it stops being entertainment and starts being harm. The line between those two states isn't always obvious — to outsiders or to the person crossing it.
Below, in order: a self-assessment you can take privately in two minutes, the warning signs that matter most, every protective tool we offer (and step-by-step instructions to set each one), self-exclusion options including the national BetStop register, third-party blocking software that works across every gambling site, free helplines and counsellors, advice for friends and family who suspect someone they love is struggling, and our age-verification and underage-protection commitments.
If you don't know where to start, start with the self-assessment. Or just call 1800 858 858. Both options are free and neither will create a record anywhere except the one you choose to create.
A two-minute self-assessment
This is the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), the screening tool used by Australian gambling counsellors and researchers. Read each question and count the ones you'd answer 'yes' or 'sometimes'. There are no right answers, no records kept, and no one watching — but the count is meaningful.
- Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
- Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
- Have you gone back another day to try to win back the money you lost?
- Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
- Have you felt that you might have a problem with gambling?
- Have people criticised your betting, or told you that you had a gambling problem, regardless of whether or not you thought it was true?
- Have you felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?
- Has gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
- Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
- Have you lost time from work, study, or relationships because of gambling?
What the count means
Non-problem gambling
Your gambling pattern looks consistent with most people who gamble for entertainment. Keep using deposit and time limits anyway — they're free insurance against future drift.
Low risk
You're showing some early signs that gambling is taking up more space in your life than it should. Now is the right time to set tighter limits, take a break, or talk to someone who can help you re-calibrate.
Moderate risk
Gambling is causing measurable harm in your life. We'd suggest a conversation with a free counsellor at 1800 858 858 — no commitment, no follow-up calls. Self-exclusion through BetStop is also available immediately if you want it.
Problem gambling
Please reach out today. Free, confidential support is available 24/7 at 1800 858 858. The earlier you talk to someone, the easier the path back. Self-exclusion is one click away if you'd rather act before talking.
Warning signs to watch for
Problem gambling rarely starts as obvious crisis. It usually shows up as a pattern that close friends and family notice first — sometimes before the gambler does. Below are the categories of warning sign clinicians look for.
Financial
- Spending more than you'd planned, then chasing losses to recover.
- Borrowing money to gamble — from credit cards, family, or friends.
- Selling personal items, taking out loans, or dipping into savings to fund gambling.
- Bills going unpaid or late while gambling continues.
- Hiding bank statements, credit card statements, or the true balance of accounts.
Emotional
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down or stop.
- Gambling to escape problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression.
- Lying about how much you gamble, how much you've lost, or how often you play.
- Feeling guilty after sessions, then gambling again to feel better.
- Mood swings closely tied to wins and losses.
Behavioural
- Spending increasing time gambling, including at night or during work hours.
- Neglecting work, study, family, or hobbies that used to matter.
- Repeatedly trying and failing to stop or cut back.
- Returning to gamble after losing in an attempt to win back losses (chasing).
- Risking or losing important relationships, job, or educational opportunities because of gambling.
Physical
- Trouble sleeping, including insomnia after long gambling sessions.
- Headaches, stomach aches, or chest pains caused by stress.
- Significant changes in appetite or weight.
- Increased use of alcohol or other substances alongside gambling.
- Neglecting personal hygiene or health appointments.
How we approach this
Responsible gambling on a casino site can sound like a contradiction. Here's how we square it.
Entertainment, not income.
We design and market Kingmaker as entertainment. We don't run campaigns implying gambling is a way to make money, get rich, or escape financial trouble. Anyone who treats it that way is being set up by someone else — not by us.
Real limits, set by you.
Deposit limits, loss limits, session limits, and reality checks are one click from your account dashboard. Setting one is irreversible upward for 7 days — you can decrease anytime, but increases require a cooling-off period. That asymmetry is intentional.
Self-exclusion is one-way.
Once you self-exclude, we will not reverse it on request during the active period — even if you change your mind tomorrow. We've heard every argument against this design and we still think it's right. The friction is the feature.
Privacy in your reach-out.
Calling a helpline doesn't tell us. Reading this page doesn't tell us. Setting limits doesn't tag your account. Nothing on this page generates a label, a flag, or a marketing exclusion that wasn't already there from your activity.
No exploitative bonuses to vulnerable players.
Our marketing system specifically excludes accounts showing problem-gambling patterns from retention campaigns and bonus offers. Internal review on this happens monthly, separate from commercial pressures.
Transparency on returns.
Every game's RTP is published. The house edge isn't hidden, downplayed, or buried. Over enough rounds the maths favours the house — and we tell you so before you fund the account, not after.
The tools we provide
Six built-in controls, each one designed to be findable in under three taps from any page on the site. All are free and none requires explanation, justification, or contact with support to activate.
Deposit limit
Caps the total you can deposit per day, week, or month. Decreases take effect immediately. Increases require a 7-day cooling-off period before they activate, which gives the new limit time to feel real before you can act on it.
How to set it
- Log in and click your account avatar in the top-right.
- Select 'Responsible Gambling' from the menu.
- Choose 'Deposit Limits' and pick daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Enter the amount and confirm.
Loss limit
Caps how much you can lose (deposits minus withdrawals) over a given period. Hitting the limit blocks further wagering for the period — bonuses and free spins included. Most powerful protection against chasing losses.
How to set it
- Account avatar → 'Responsible Gambling'.
- Choose 'Loss Limits' and select daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Enter the amount you're comfortable potentially losing in that period.
- Confirm. Decreases apply immediately, increases need 7 days.
Session time limit
Logs you out automatically after a set period. The timer starts at login and ignores breaks. When it triggers, the session ends and you'll need to log in again — a small interruption that often breaks the flow.
How to set it
- Account avatar → 'Responsible Gambling'.
- Select 'Session Limit' and pick a duration (15 min to 8 hr).
- Save. The countdown starts at the next login.
Reality check
A pop-up that appears at intervals you choose, showing time elapsed, total wagered, and total won/lost in the current session. Forces a moment of conscious awareness in the middle of play, when otherwise the flow takes over.
How to set it
- Account avatar → 'Responsible Gambling'.
- Select 'Reality Check' and choose an interval (15, 30, 45, 60 min).
- Save. Pop-ups appear automatically from your next session.
Time-out
A short pause from your account: 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, or 30 days. The account is locked for the period and cannot be reopened until it expires. Distinct from self-exclusion: shorter, with no national-register reporting.
How to set it
- Account avatar → 'Responsible Gambling' → 'Time-out'.
- Choose duration: 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
- Confirm. Account locks immediately and reopens automatically when the period ends.
Self-exclusion
Locks your account for 6 months, 12 months, or permanently. Cannot be reversed during the active period. Coupled with BetStop registration if you choose, which extends the exclusion to every Australian-licensed gambling provider. The strongest protection we offer.
How to set it
- Account avatar → 'Responsible Gambling' → 'Self-exclusion'.
- Choose the duration. Read the irreversibility notice carefully.
- Confirm. Account locks immediately. Pending withdrawals are processed; pending bets settle as normal.
- Optionally, register with BetStop in the same flow to extend across all Australian-licensed providers.
Self-exclusion in detail
Self-exclusion is the strongest protective tool on this page. It locks your account for a chosen period and removes the friction-free path back into play — which, in a moment of weakness, is the most important thing about it. Reversal during the active period is not possible regardless of who asks or how convincing the argument sounds.
When you self-exclude with us, you can also opt to register with BetStop in the same flow. BetStop is the Australian Government's National Self-Exclusion Register, free and operated independently from gambling operators. One registration covers every online and phone wagering provider licensed in Australia. Periods range from 3 months to lifetime.
Self-exclusion is not a substitute for treatment. If gambling has reached the point where you're considering exclusion, please also call 1800 858 858 — free, 24/7, no record on your account. The two together are far more effective than either alone.
National self-exclusion schemes
BetStop
National Self-Exclusion Register (Australia)
Free Australian Government register. One signup excludes you from every licensed online and phone wagering operator in Australia, including Kingmaker. Choose 3 months minimum, up to lifetime. Operators are required to honour it within 24 hours and prohibited from marketing to registered users.
betstop.gov.au
GamStop
If you also gamble with UK-licensed operators
UK self-exclusion register. Free, applies across UK-licensed gambling operators only. Useful if you have accounts with UK-facing sites alongside Australian ones — register with both BetStop and GamStop for broadest coverage.
gamstop.co.uk
Third-party blocking software
Self-exclusion only works against operators who participate in a register. Blocking software runs on your device and prevents access to gambling sites at the network level — including unregulated offshore sites a national register cannot reach. The three most reliable options:
Gamban
Blocks tens of thousands of gambling sites and apps across all your devices. Cannot be uninstalled without a deliberate, time-delayed process. Free for many Australian players via state government partnerships.
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
BetBlocker
Free, registered charity. Blocks gambling sites and apps with simple installation. Period of restriction set by you — same one-way design as self-exclusion.
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chromebook
Net Nanny / Qustodio
General-purpose family safety software with strong gambling-category blocking. Useful when you want a broader content filter (gambling, adult content, specific apps) on a household device.
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Free, confidential helplines
All of these are free, confidential, and not run by gambling operators. Calling does not register you with any operator and does not affect your account anywhere. Operators of these services are trained specifically in gambling harm — they will not judge, will not push, and will not bill you.
Gambling Help Online / National Gambling Helpline
First call for most Australian players
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Phone, online chat, and email counselling available.
gamblinghelponline.org.au
Lifeline
If gambling has triggered a mental-health crisis
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Phone, text (0477 13 11 14), and online chat. For when distress has overtaken the gambling itself.
lifeline.org.au
Gamblers Anonymous Australia
Peer support meetings
In-person and online meetings nationwide. Twelve-step program operated by people in recovery — free, anonymous, with no professional staff.
gaaustralia.org.au
Financial counselling
Gambling harm and financial harm reinforce each other. If gambling has caused debt, free professional financial counselling is available — confidential, independent, and not run by lenders or operators.
If someone you love is struggling
Watching a friend or family member lose control of their gambling is its own kind of hard. The instinct to confront, fix, or rescue is strong; the evidence on what actually works is more nuanced. Here's what gambling counsellors consistently advise.
Talk in private, sober, without an audience.
Pick a calm moment, not the aftermath of a loss or a shouting match. Use 'I' statements about what you've observed and how it affects you, rather than accusations. Avoid ultimatums in the first conversation — they collapse the discussion before it starts.
Don't lend money. Don't pay debts. Don't bail out.
Counter-intuitive, but consistent. Paying off gambling debts removes the consequences that often motivate change, and creates a pattern where you become the safety net that lets the gambling continue. Help with practical things — meals, lifts, time — yes. Money, no.
Protect joint finances.
Separate accounts, separate cards, change passwords on shared services. If you have joint debts, consult a financial counsellor about your liability before any bankruptcy or default happens. The National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) is free and independent.
Look after yourself.
Gambling Help Online (1800 858 858) supports family members and friends, not only gamblers. Lifeline supports anyone in distress. Some peer-support programs (Gam-Anon) are specifically for affected family. You are allowed to need help too.
If they won't accept help, you have limits.
You cannot force someone to stop gambling, and trying to control their behaviour usually accelerates the problem. What you can do: protect yourself and dependents financially, ask them to leave a shared home if behaviour becomes harmful, and seek your own counselling. None of those steps require their consent.
Underage protection
Kingmaker is strictly 18+. Allowing minors to gamble is illegal under Australian law, harmful to young people, and corrosive to the brand. Our protections aren't ticking a box — they're how we'd want our own kids treated by a competitor.
- Age verification is mandatory at registration, performed by accredited third-party providers (Jumio, SumSub) using government-issued ID.
- We do not allow account creation without successful age verification. No deposit, no play, no exception.
- If we detect signs of underage use after registration — typically during KYC for withdrawal — the account is closed immediately, all deposits returned to source, and any winnings forfeited. The account holder is also reported to relevant authorities where appropriate.
- If you're a parent or guardian who suspects your child has accessed a Kingmaker account: contact us immediately at [email protected] or live chat. We will investigate, freeze, and refund within 24 hours.
- We recommend installing parental control software on shared devices. Both Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link include gambling-category blocking. Net Nanny and Qustodio offer cross-platform options.
- We support the Australian Government's age-verification standard (currently in development) and will adopt enhanced measures as they become available.