Yarning can help
Free support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Gambling Help provides safe, inclusive, culturally appropriate support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families, and your mob.
Yarning can help.
Call 1800 858 858
Free and confidential support is available
Call Gambling Help
The Gambling Helpline is available 24/7. Talk to a trained counsellor anytime — day or night. Get confidential support, crisis help, or book a counselling session.
Call nowOnline chat
Prefer typing over talking? Connect with a professional counsellor through Gambling Help Online.
Start chatLet’s start yarning about gambling
Let’s Start Yarning About Gambling is a video series created to open up honest conversations about gambling within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These videos encourage mob to yarn about how gambling can affect our lives, families, and wellbeing.
Whether it’s playing the pokies, betting on sport, or feeling the pressure to chase losses, it’s important to talk about it. By sharing these stories, we hope to break the silence, reduce shame, and show that support is available.
Let’s start yarning — healing starts with a conversation.
Stories That Inspire
"We have the ability to minimise harm to ourselves and our community."
Kalkadoon/Girramay man Todd
"Talking to my family helped me find out my role within my family - and that gambling wasn't allowing me to do that."
Wakka Wakka/Birri Gubba woman Shay
“You've gotta recognise the triggers that are happening within yourself, and you've gotta open up to people and be honest with people, and seek help.”
Gorumpul man Lyle
One-page guides you can save, print, or share
Financial Impacts of Gambling
One of the first things we think of when yarning about gambling is the impact on our finances. We all know that in gambling, the house always wins. This means that when we gamble regularly, we lose more than we win.
Impacts of Gambling on family
Harm from gambling isn’t just about losing money, it can hurt our family as well. Gambling can affect our family and children in a number of ways.
Impacts of Gambling on your health
When we gamble, it’s not just about money. The impacts can affect our self-esteem, our relationships, and our physical and mental health.
Impacts of Gambling on the brain
When we gamble, our brain releases a chemical called dopamine, which makes us feel good. Because of this, we may want to keep gambling.
Other culturally-safe support
13YARN
If you, or someone you know, are feeling worried or no good, we encourage you to connect with 13YARN
13 92 76
Mob Strong Debt Helpline
Mob Strong Debt Helpline offers free legal advice and financial counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
1800 808 488
Free training for professionals
This free, self-paced online training module is available for health and community professionals working with Queensland’s First Nations communities.
This training will improve your understanding of gambling harm and how it affects First Nations individuals and communities, including how to screen and appropriately refer clients and patients.
Learn more about free training (button to First Nations training page)
Resilient Wings
This embodied design, Resilient Wings, is a creation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist, Lili Jacobsen.
This artwork was created to convey the message of supporting community wellbeing.
Through the use of a rainbow lorikeet, the artist captures the essence of resilience and the act of breaking free from experiencing harm.
The vibrant lorikeet, in contrast to the dark background filled with patterns symbolising harm and the strain it imposes on the spirit, stands out powerfully. The dark patterns reflect the challenges of harm, while the bright bird signifies hope and renewal. The community symbols and colorful connection lines further emphasise the supportive nature of the narrative.
The simplicity of the coloured elements allows the artwork to strongly express key themes of resilience, breaking free, strength and support.
The rainbow-coloured lorikeet, in particular, highlights the transformation and brighter life that awaits those who seek help, making it a poignant representation of recovery from gambling harm.
