What to expect at a support service
Chatting to someone who is outside your situation can be a relief. There are many options available throughout the country when you’re ready to access a support service.
What types of support services are available in Aotearoa New Zealand?
Gambling harm support services in Aotearoa New Zealand can help. These include:
There are also specific services for Māori, Pacific and Asian communities. These services provide support that is guided by cultural values and practices to support your journey to wellbeing.
See a list of support services.
Counselling
Counselling is a form of support that involves talking to a trained professional about your situation. It can be great for supporting you, your whānau and your friends.
Free and confidential counselling is available in Aotearoa New Zealand to people struggling with gambling and to support those concerned about them. You can attend counselling sessions on your own or with friends or whānau/family.
Counsellors can help you set goals, identify stressors that may lead to gambling and develop approaches to help you cope better when stressful things happen.
Counsellors can provide support over the phone or face to face either in person or via video call.
Speaking to someone in person can feel more personal than texting or talking on the phone. Some people prefer seeing that they are being heard.
Some areas of Aotearoa New Zealand do not have options to speak to someone in person, but there are still ways to get support by contacting PGF Services, Asian Family Services and Mapu Maia via phone or video call. The Gambling Helpline is also available 24/7.
What to expect from counselling sessions
This is what will happen in your first counselling session:
- It will usually take 60–90 minutes.
- Your counsellor will ask you some confidential questions. This information will give them a good idea about how things are going for you.
- You will have a chance to discuss how you and your counsellor can work together and what you want to achieve from your counselling sessions.
Counselling sessions after this usually take around 50 minutes. They will happen every 1–2 weeks depending on your needs.
Peer support
Peer-support workers who have lived experience of gambling harm are another support. They can work alongside counsellors during your journey to strengthen wellbeing.
Through their own experience with gambling harm, peer-support workers help individuals and whānau/family with empathy and without judgement. They can share their experience and provide unique insights to the people they are supporting.
Group work
Most support services offer group sessions that are facilitated by their counselling team or peer-support workers.
Seeing and hearing other people’s experience with gambling harm and having the opportunity to support others can reduce loneliness and feelings of isolation caused by gambling harm. Group work is helpful for some people.
Multi-venue exclusion
If you’re not ready to contact a support service, another option is self-exclusion. Self-exclusion lets you take a break from the pokies by banning yourself from the venues you visit. A multi-venue exclusion (MVE) lets you ban yourself from multiple venues without having to visit each individual site.
MVE coordinators are available around the country to help you with this process. You do not need to see a counsellor first to self-exclude.
See a list of regional MVE coordinators.
Related information
Check out these other pages for safer gambling support and guidance.