Swopstakes Australia

Responsible Gambling Policy V3.0

Gambling Should Always Be Fun

For most people, gambling is a form of entertainment. We are, however, acutely conscious of those people for whom gambling is, or can become, a problem.

For this reason, Swopstakes Australia is committed - at all times - to provide a responsible gambling environment, where you have access to information and online tools to monitor, manage, and control your betting activity.

Further, we have a strict "no inducement" policy.

  • We do not offer any form of sign-up bonus or inducements based on your level of spending or the placing of bets.
  • Our Terms of Use expressly prohibit the use of Swopstakes and the GetSetBet sportsbook by persons under 18 years of age.

Put simply, if it’s not fun; if you’re not in control; then we want you to stop immediately and get support.

Our business and betting operations are strictly governed by this code of practice. This Responsible Gambling Policy is designed to provide you with information on how you can manage your play, and where to get help and advice when you need it.

WHERE TO GET HELP

For further assistance, or if you just wish to know more, please contact one of the organisations listed below.

Telephone:

  • Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858
  • Financial Counselling Helpline on 1800 007 007

Or online at:

  • Gambling Help Online
  • Gambling Help (New South Wales)
  • Gambler’s Anonymous

What is Responsible Gambling?

Responsible gambling for individuals means:

  • they may gamble for pleasure and entertainment but are aware of their likelihood of losing and understand the associated risks,
  • they exercise control over their gambling activity, and
  • responsible gambling occurs in balance with other activities in their lives and is not causing problems or harm for themselves or others.

Responsible gambling for the broader community, including gambling providers, governments, and sporting associations, requires:

  • shared responsibility for generating awareness of the risks associated with gambling,
  • creating and promoting environments that prevent or minimise problem gambling,
  • and being responsive to community concerns around gambling.

What is Problem Gambling?

Problem gambling occurs when a person spends more time or money than they can afford.

After gambling the person feels anxious, guilty, or simply uncomfortable with the situation.

The negative consequences of problem gambling may include:

  • the punter suffering excessive financial losses relative to the gambler’s means (including unpaid household bills, credit card debts or loans);
  • adverse personal effects on the punter (such as anxiety, depression or stress) and/or their family;
  • adverse effects on employment and work performance (including missing work or having trouble concentrating at work);
  • losing the ability to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle due to spending an excessive amount of time gambling;
  • regretting the amount of time lost or wasted due to gambling; and
  • other costs which are borne by the community.

Care Principles and Responsible Gambling

We aim to consistently promote responsible gambling practices. Gambling should be an enjoyable form of entertainment which does not create problems.

We want to deliver sustainable wagering services, that take account of your interests, the interests of players in general, the community at large, and our duty of care as a licensed wagering operator.

RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING POLICY

Responsible gambling involves informing players of their rights and responsibilities as gamblers and ensuring that Swopstakes delivers safe gambling services.

We are committed to sharing responsibility, with communities and Government bodies, for helping problem gamblers to identify problems and seek assistance.

Some of the ways that we do this are:

  • building limits into our services and games;
  • encouraging our players to set their own limits;
  • encouraging our players to take a break or self-exclude
  • providing Responsible Gambling information and messages to our clients;
  • ensuring all of our staff are fully trained in relation to the Responsible Service of Gambling; and
  • referring our clients who are at risk of problem gambling to gambling-related support services.

We aim to achieve the following outcomes:

  • maintaining a strict “no inducement” policy
  • ensuring that limits and controls are always at the forefront of how our services and games are designed;
  • minimising the extent of gambling related harm to individuals and the broader community;
  • enabling our players to make informed decisions about their gambling practices;
  • enabling players adversely affected by gambling to have access to timely and appropriate assistance and information;
  • promoting a shared understanding between individuals, communities, the gambling industry and Government of responsible gambling practices; and
  • ensuring the gambling industry provides safe and supportive environments for the delivery of gambling products and services.

Take this Gambling Self-Assessment Quiz Now

The following questionnaire may help you to identify tendencies in your behaviour which are often linked to problem gambling.

  1. Have you ever ignored your job in order to gamble?
  2. Have you felt unhappy with your personal life due to gambling?
  3. Does your gambling affect your perception of others, or how others may perceive you?
  4. Has your gambling left you with a deep sense of regret?
  5. Have you ever tried to meet your financial obligations by gambling?
  6. Has gambling affected your motivation to succeed?
  7. Do you feel obliged to gamble in order to recoup lost money?
  8. Do you consider a win as motivation to spend more?
  9. Have you ever spent your last available dollar on gambling?
  10. Have you ever borrowed money in order to gamble?
  11. Have you ever sold assets in order to gamble?
  12. Have you felt reluctant to use money set aside for gambling on everyday purchases?
  13. Has gambling negatively impacted on the way that you treat yourself or others?
  14. Do you find yourself gambling beyond the time you had planned to stop?
  15. Have you ever gambled to avoid dealing with personal problems?
  16. Have you ever committed (or considered committing) a criminal offence in order to gamble?
  17. Does your gambling affect your sleep?
  18. Do the frustrations of your personal life encourage you to gamble?
  19. Have you celebrated good fortune by spending excessive time gambling?
  20. Have you considered harming yourself as a result of gambling?

How did you go?

Studies show that people who have answered “Yes” to seven or more of the above questions show tendencies representative of problem gambling.

If you answered “YES” to seven or more of the above questions we think it’s important that you immediately stop and seek help.

Setting Financial Limits

As part of our commitment to the responsible service of gambling, we encourage you to look at our account management tools for setting financial and pre-commitment limits.

These tools allow you to set limits for losses, deposits, and spend amounts - based on nominated periods of a day, week, or month.

  • A loss limit means that you will not be able to lose an amount greater than the selected amount in the time period selected.
  • A deposit limit means that you will not be able to deposit an amount into your account greater than the selected amount in the time period selected.
  • A spend limit means that you will not be able to spend an amount greater than the selected amount in the time period selected.

The time periods available for all of these limits are:

  • Daily (calculated as midnight to midnight, AEST)
  • Weekly (a 7-day period will apply)
  • Monthly (a 30-day period will apply)

To set and manage any of these limits;

  • Log into your Swopstakes or GetSetBet account, click on 'My Account’ and select ‘Responsible Gambling’; or
  • Contact Swopstakes Australia by emailing [email protected]

To Change or Remove a Limit

You may lower your limits at any time and the change will take effect immediately.

You may raise or remove your limits, but the change will only take effect after 7 days.

Once set, a time period can be extended but not reduced.

Take a Break or Self-Exclude

If you feel that you are losing control of your play and would like help in restricting your access to Swopstakes and the GetSetBet sportsbook, we want you to take an immediate break or consider permanently self-excluding from betting with us. We want you to stop and get help.

To take a break, or permanently exclude:

  • Log into your Swopstakes or GetSetBet account and click on 'My Account’.
  • Click 'Profile' and select ‘Responsible Gambling’

Take a Temporary Break

You can choose to take a short break. The short break periods available are:

  • 1-30 days
  • 1-6 weeks

You can choose to take a long break. The long break periods available are:

  • 6 months
  • 1 year

To commence a break period, you can use the temporary break tools located under the Profile settings on either the Swopstakes and GetSetBet websites, or contact Swopstakes Australia by emailing [email protected]

Upon the activation of a temporary break you will be logged out of the website immediately and blocked from accessing Swopstakes and the GetSetBet sportsbook for the nominated period. An email will be sent to you confirming your temporary break period.

During break periods up to 6 months, account funds will remain in your account balance unless withdrawn prior to temporary self-exclusion.

For long term breaks any funds that you have in your account will be returned to the bank account that was nominated in your previous withdrawal.

Note that the break period cannot be cancelled or shortened.

  • The break period can be extended at any time after the break period has been completed, up to a total period of seven years.

During a break period, and as per Swopstakes Australia’s Terms of Use, you must not attempt to open a new account or use any other account.

Your account will be automatically reactivated at the conclusion of your break period.

Permanent Self-Exclusion

You can also permanently self-exclude from gambling with Swopstakes Australia. To commence a permanent self-exclusion period, you must either:

  • Log into your Swopstakes or GetSetBet sportsbook account and click on the “Self-Exclusion” option located in Accounts settings; or
  • Contact Swopstakes Australia by emailing [email protected]; or
  • Complete and submit the self-exclusion form found on the Northern Territory Government website, which also allows you to extend your exclusion to all Northern Territory bookmakers.

Once permanently self-excluded:

  • You will not be able to log into your Swopstakes or GetSetBet account. As per Swopstakes Australia’s Terms of Use, you must not attempt to open a new account or use any other account.

Extending Your Self-Exclusion

BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register, is a free service for people who want help changing their gambling habits.

It allows you to self-exclude from all legal online or phone wagering operations in Australia in one simple process.

Once you chose your self-exclusion period, these wagering providers are not allowed to accept a bet or open a new account for them. Providers are also not allowed to send direct marketing messages to people who have self-excluded.

For more information, and to register with BetStop:

Make Sure You Stay in Control

We cannot stress enough the need for you to stay safe when gambling.

If you answered “YES” to seven or more questions in the Gambling Self-Assessment Quiz; if at any time you have cause for concern, or your family or friends express concern; you should STOP immediately and seek support.