Staying in control when the casino is offshore

Most Australian safety nets for gamblers are built around licensed local operators. Ignition is not one of them. Some of the tools you may have heard of will not reach an Ignition account. Here is what still has teeth. Gambling is for adults only (18+), and any game at Ignition is built to keep part of every dollar staked over time.

Talk to someone today

• Gambling Help Online: free counselling by phone on 1800 858 858, or by chat and email on gamblinghelponline.org.au, 24 hours a day, anywhere in Australia. You can stay anonymous.
• Lifeline: 13 11 14, for anyone in crisis, gambling-related or not.
• Readers in the US can ring 1-800-GAMBLER.

Why BetStop will not close an Ignition account

BetStop is the national self-exclusion register. Registering shuts you out of all Australian-licensed betting companies that take bets online or over the phone, and you need an Australian driver’s licence, passport or Medicare card to register (help line 1800 238 786). It is still worth joining if betting apps are part of the problem. It has no reach over an offshore casino, though, so Ignition will not see your BetStop registration.

Blocks that do reach offshore sites

1. Ignition’s own self-exclusion. The casino footer links a self-exclusion page. Ask support to close the account for a fixed period or permanently, and keep the confirmation email.
2. Your bank’s gambling block. Several big Australian banks let you stop gambling transactions with a switch in their app.
3. Blocking software on your phone and computer, which can stop gambling sites loading at all.
4. Remove saved cards and crypto wallets from the devices you gamble on. One more step between an urge and a deposit helps.

Signs the habit is slipping

• reloading straight after a losing session in the hope of squaring up;
• hiding play or balances from people close to you;
• borrowing, or using credit or crypto you meant to keep, to keep playing;
• feeling flat or irritable on days you do not play.

Recognise a couple of these in yourself? Ring one of the numbers above. Talking to a counsellor costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

Money already stuck at an offshore site

ACMA says Australian regulators cannot help when an unlicensed operator holds back winnings. Its suggestions are independent legal advice, a complaint to the ACCC, or a complaint to the authority that licensed the operator, which for Ignition is in Anjouan. Do not pay anyone who promises to “recover” a casino balance for a fee. That is a known scam.