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How to Register with BetStop

Prepare for BetStop registration, choose an exclusion period, understand Australian online and phone wagering coverage, and know how removal works.

Last updated on Jul 26, 2026

BetStop is Australia's free National Self-Exclusion Register for people who want to block access to Australian-licensed online and phone wagering providers. A person must be ordinarily resident in Australia and register themself.

What to prepare

The current BetStop preparation page lists:

  • a mobile phone number;
  • access to an email inbox; and
  • an Australian state or territory driver licence, Australian passport, or Medicare card.

If you need help or want to use another identity document, call 1800 238 786. BetStop does not publish a universal alternative-document list, so use the route the contact centre gives you.

Prepare complete and accurate contact details, including other names, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses that a wagering provider may have for you. BetStop's current Terms of Use warn that incomplete or out-of-date details can prevent an account from matching the register.

Use phone and email accounts that you can keep private. BetStop sends registration and exclusion information through those channels. Do not share a password, verification code, or identity document with a friend, operator, or unofficial service.

How to register

The live signup interface can change. These steps describe the current legal and service requirements without guessing the order of every screen.

Open the official service or call for help

Use the official signup page or call 1800 238 786. The in-force Register Rules permit web and telephone applications. Registration is free and must be completed by the person who wants to self-exclude.

Read the privacy notice and enter matching details

Follow the current form and provide truthful, complete information. The register uses names, contact details, date of birth, and address information to match customer records submitted by wagering providers.

BetStop's identity process uses government-document verification, an SMS verification code, and an email code or link where the statutory exceptions do not apply. Use only the secure process provided by BetStop.

Choose the exclusion period carefully

Choose a whole number of months with a minimum of three months, a whole number of years, or lifetime. Do not rely on a copied fixed menu; follow the choices shown by the current official service.

You can extend the period later, including to lifetime. The ordinary account controls do not reduce the period, although a separate formal early-removal application exists after the statutory minimum conditions are met.

Choose optional support and retention settings

You may nominate up to five support people. Ask for each person's consent first. A support person can decline or withdraw and cannot register you.

The service also asks whether it may retain registration details after the exclusion ends to simplify a later registration. Read that choice separately from the exclusion period; it is not a promise that every legal or complaint record will be erased.

Complete verification and save the confirmation

Finish the official identity checks and save the confirmation email and chosen period. The Register Rules require BetStop to take reasonable steps to make the register entry as soon as practicable and, in any event, within one hour after the required identity conditions are satisfied.

That one-hour limit does not begin when you first open the form. If verification is incomplete or the service asks for another identity route, contact BetStop rather than assuming the exclusion is already active.

What BetStop covers

BetStop covers all Australian-licensed online and phone wagering providers. You cannot select only certain providers. While a person is registered, a covered provider must not:

  • open a wagering account for that person;
  • provide wagering services or accept a new bet; or
  • send direct wagering marketing.

Covered providers must also close matched wagering accounts under the Interactive Gambling Act. The ACMA BetStop overview explains the same national scope and provider duties.

BetStop does not automatically cover:

  • retail betting counters or other in-person wagering;
  • casinos or poker-machine venues;
  • online casino games;
  • illegal or unlicensed online services;
  • a separate state, territory, venue, or operator exclusion; or
  • every advertisement, payment route, device, or internet connection.

Register separately for another exclusion program when its different scope is useful. An existing program does not transfer a person into BetStop.

What happens to accounts, balances, and pending bets

You do not need to delay registration solely to withdraw money or wait for a bet to settle. The Act and the current ACMA provider FAQ set the account rules.

  • No pending bets: the provider must close the matched account as soon as practicable and pay the remaining credit, less any debt it may lawfully deduct.
  • Pending bets: the account may remain open until those pre-existing bets resolve, but the provider must prevent new betting. It must then pay the remaining credit and close the account.

BetStop does not cancel pending bets and does not publish a fixed refund processing time. Do not deposit, wager, or cash out solely to test the block or prepare the account.

An account closed because of BetStop cannot later be reopened, reactivated, or reinstated. After the exclusion ends, a provider may allow a new account. This account closure is not deletion of every customer or legal record.

Extension, expiry, and formal early removal

You can extend the exclusion at any time through the BetStop account or by phone, including changing it to lifetime. BetStop contacts the registrant before a known expiry and also contacts nominated support people.

When the selected period expires, the register entry is removed. Existing wagering accounts do not automatically reopen. A person can register again at any time.

The ordinary controls do not simply shorten an exclusion. A written early-removal application is generally unavailable during the first three months. The Act contains a narrow exception for someone who was previously registered, so ask BetStop about the exact rule for that history.

A formal application must include a statutory declaration confirming recent counselling or advice about the decision. A valid application may be withdrawn through the end of day seven. If it is not withdrawn, removal occurs at the start of day eight. Use the current BetStop FAQ and contact centre for the required form and qualified-support route.

Matching and privacy

Wagering providers send customer identifiers such as name, mobile number, and email address to BetStop. The service checks for a match and tells the provider whether the person is registered.

BetStop's current privacy policy says identity-document details are not used for provider matching and are not supplied to wagering providers. It also says copies of identity documents are not retained after the Document Verification Service check, while required verification metadata is retained.

Keep all names and current or previous contact details up to date in the BetStop account. The service's terms say effectiveness depends on details matching and on providers checking and meeting their obligations. Do not treat registration as a guarantee that every provider system will match correctly.

Calls to and from the BetStop contact centre are recorded for quality and training. The privacy policy says you may ask for the call not to be recorded.

If an account, bet, or marketing message gets through

Do not place another bet to test the register. Save the registration confirmation, provider name, account identifier, dates, screenshots, message, and transaction information that already exists.

Use BetStop's complaint form or call 1800 238 786 if a provider:

  • allowed an account to open or a new bet to be placed;
  • did not close a matched account or return credit;
  • sent direct wagering marketing; or
  • appears to have matched the wrong person.

BetStop must refer alleged breaches of the Act or Register Rules to ACMA. Anonymous complaints are accepted, but the official complaint page warns that an investigation may be limited without identifying information or evidence.

The published three-business-day acknowledgement and 28-day written outcome periods apply to complaints about BetStop's administration or operation. They do not guarantee that an alleged provider breach or the underlying issue will be resolved within 28 days.

BetStop contact and accessible support

The current BetStop contact page lists:

  • 1800 238 786;
  • 9 a.m.–9 p.m. AEST/AEDT, Monday–Friday, excluding national public holidays;
  • National Relay Service access, including 1300 555 727; and
  • Translating and Interpreting Service access on 131 450.

Use BetStop for registration, account, matching, privacy, and complaint help. For free gambling counselling across Australia, use Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day.

Operator-specific controls remain separate

BetStop is not an ordinary account-closure request or an operator-only self-exclusion. For current operator-specific steps, balances, marketing controls, and contacts, use the reviewed guides for TAB Australia, Sportsbet, and Neds.

If you want another practical layer while registration or account handling is in progress, compare a gambling blocker or bank gambling block. Those tools do not complete BetStop registration.

Questions people ask

Can someone else register me?

No. A person must register themself. You may nominate up to five consenting support people, but they cannot complete the registration for you.

Does BetStop cover every kind of gambling in Australia?

No. It covers Australian-licensed online and phone wagering providers. It does not cover casinos, poker-machine venues, in-person betting, online casino games, or unlicensed services.

When does the one-hour registration limit apply?

The legal one-hour limit applies after the required identity conditions are satisfied, not when the form is opened. Save the confirmation instead of assuming an unfinished application is active.

Do I need to withdraw my balance before registering?

No universal pre-withdrawal requirement applies. Covered providers have rules for closing matched accounts and paying credit, including when pending bets exist. Do not make another deposit or wager to prepare.

Can I cancel BetStop early?

The selected period cannot simply be reduced. A separate formal written removal process is generally available only after at least three months and requires a statutory declaration about recent counselling or advice. The Act has a narrow exception for some previously registered people.

Source review

This guide was reviewed on 26 July 2026 against current BetStop pages, the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, the in-force Register Rules 2022, current ACMA consumer and provider guidance, and the Australian support services linked above. The browser-backed signup check confirmed only the preparation screen and privacy acknowledgement; this guide does not invent the later screen order.

Registration screens, laws, support details, and provider obligations can change. Recheck the official page before submitting personal information or relying on a procedure.