How Mate Casino Approaches Responsible Gambling
Playing at Mate Casino is meant to be enjoyable. The games, the bonuses, the pokies from studios you know well – all of it works best when it stays recreational. But gambling carries real risks, and we take those seriously. This page sets out the tools available to you, how to recognise when playing stops being fun, and where to turn if you or someone you care about needs support.
Mate Casino operates in accordance with the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) and applicable state and territory regulations. Every player has the right to use our responsible gambling features at any time, free of charge, without being questioned or discouraged.
Who Can Play at Mate Casino
Only people aged 18 and over are permitted to hold an account or place a wager at Mate Casino. This is not a formality. We verify age during registration and may request additional documentation at any point. If there is any doubt about a player’s age, access to games is suspended until verification is complete.
If you suspect that a person under 18 has access to gambling sites in your household, please use parental control software such as Gamban or Net Nanny to restrict access at the device level. Keep your Mate Casino login credentials private and never share your account with anyone else.
Understanding Problem Gambling
Problem gambling is not about how often you play or how much money is involved. It develops when gambling begins to affect your relationships, finances, work, or mental health – and when stopping or cutting back feels genuinely difficult.
Common Warning Signs
- Spending more than you planned to, regularly
- Chasing losses by placing bigger or more frequent bets
- Gambling with money set aside for bills, rent, or groceries
- Feeling restless, irritable or anxious when not gambling
- Hiding your gambling activity from family or friends
- Borrowing money or selling possessions to fund play
- Thinking about gambling when you are at work or with people you care about
- Gambling as a way to escape stress, anxiety or low mood
If several of the above sound familiar, it is worth taking a step back. The resources and tools below can help.
Self-Assessment
Before reaching out to support services, many people find it useful to take a brief self-assessment. The following questions are adapted from standard screening tools used by Australian gambling support organisations:
- Have you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
- Have you tried to cut back on gambling more than once and found it difficult?
- Has gambling caused significant problems with your partner, family, or employer?
- Have you gambled to escape problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt or depression?
- Have you ever lied to family members or others to conceal how much you gamble?
Answering yes to two or more of these questions is a strong signal that professional support could make a real difference.
Responsible Gambling Tools at Mate Casino
Your Mate Casino account gives you direct access to a set of tools designed to keep your gambling within limits you set yourself. You do not need to speak to anyone to use them – everything is available through your account settings.
Deposit Limits
Set a maximum amount you can deposit daily, weekly or monthly. Once a limit is in place, it takes effect immediately. Reducing a limit is instant. Increasing one requires a cooling-off period to prevent impulsive decisions.
Session Time Limits and Reality Checks
Set a maximum session length and receive a notification when that time is up. Reality check reminders can also be turned on to display how long you have been playing and how your balance has moved during that session.
Loss Limits
Cap the amount you are willing to lose in a given period. Once the limit is reached, access to real-money games is paused until the period resets.
Wager Limits
Restrict the maximum stake you can place on a single bet or game round. Useful for players who want to extend session time and keep individual bets manageable.
Cool-Off Periods
Take a short break from gambling without closing your account. Cool-off periods can be set for 24 hours, 48 hours, one week, or one month. During this time, you cannot deposit or play real-money games. Your account and funds remain secure.
Self-Exclusion
If you need a longer break, self-exclusion suspends your account for a minimum of six months. This cannot be reversed during the exclusion period, regardless of your circumstances. To activate self-exclusion, contact our support team at support@matecasino-aus.com or call +61 2 8685 1177. Once active, any future attempts to open a new account with Mate Casino will also be blocked.
National Self-Exclusion: BetStop
Australia’s National Self-Exclusion Register, BetStop, allows you to self-exclude from all licensed interactive gambling services operating in Australia in a single step. Registration is free, confidential and legally binding on all participating operators. You can self-exclude for periods ranging from three months to a lifetime. Register at www.betstop.gov.au.
Practical Tips for Keeping Gambling Safe
- Decide on a budget before you start playing and treat it as the cost of entertainment, not an investment
- Never gamble when you are tired, upset, or under the influence of alcohol
- Take regular breaks, even when things are going well
- Do not chase losses – the next session will not automatically recover what you lost
- Balance gambling with other leisure activities
- Keep track of time spent playing – it passes faster than most people expect
- Only play with funds you can genuinely afford to lose
Support Services in Australia
If you are concerned about your own gambling or that of someone close to you, trained counsellors and support workers are available around the clock. All services listed below are free and confidential.
Gambling Help Online
24/7 telephone counselling, online chat and self-help tools for people affected by gambling in Australia.
Phone: 1800 858 858
Website: www.gamblinghelponline.org.au
Lifeline
Crisis support and suicide prevention for people in distress, including those experiencing financial hardship related to gambling.
Phone: 13 11 14
Website: www.lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue
Support for anxiety, depression and mental health issues, which often intersect with problematic gambling.
Phone: 1300 22 4636
Website: www.beyondblue.org.au
National Debt Helpline
Free financial counselling for Australians dealing with debt, including gambling-related financial difficulty.
Phone: 1800 007 007
Website: www.ndh.org.au
MensLine Australia
Telephone and online counselling specifically for men facing emotional or psychological difficulties, including those connected to gambling.
Phone: 1300 78 99 78
Website: www.mensline.org.au
Protecting Yourself at the Device Level
If you want to block access to gambling sites across all browsers on your device, blocking software offers a reliable layer of protection that operates independently of any individual casino account.
- Gamban – blocks thousands of gambling sites and apps across all your devices
- Bet Blocker – free blocking tool covering a wide range of gambling platforms
- Net Nanny – family-focused parental controls that include gambling site filtering
Our Commitments to You
Mate Casino will never send promotional material to a player who has self-excluded or activated a cool-off period. Our support team is trained to respond to responsible gambling requests with discretion and without delay. We do not penalise players for using limit-setting tools or taking breaks, and we do not make the self-exclusion process difficult to navigate.
If you have a concern about your account, want to set a limit or activate exclusion, reach out through any of the following channels:
- Email: support@matecasino-aus.com
- Phone: +61 2 8685 1177
- Office: Level 27, 264 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Gambling should add to your day, not take from it. If it ever starts feeling like the latter, please use the tools available to you or speak to someone who can help.