Playing Responsibly at GoKong
When Play Stops Being Fun
Problem gambling usually shows up in behaviour before it shows up in the bank balance. Watch for chasing losses with bigger deposits, playing longer than you planned, borrowing money to gamble, hiding how much you spend from family, losing interest in work or friends, and feeling irritable or anxious when you are not playing. Any one of these is a reason to pause, and two or more together are a reason to use the tools below or to talk to someone. Pokies and live tables at GoKong are designed to be fast, and that speed makes it easy to lose track of time, so treat a sudden urge to top up your account as a signal to stop.
What Happens When We Check Your Age
GoKong is for people aged 18 and over, and this is the age limit across all of Australia. You confirm that you are 18+ when you register, and we back that up with KYC checks before your first withdrawal, using an Australian driver’s licence, a passport or a Medicare card. Accounts found to belong to minors are closed and stakes are handled under our terms. If children use your phone or computer, protect your account with a strong password, sign out after each session and do not save your details in the browser. Parental controls built into Android and iOS, and filtering software on your home network, can block gambling sites on devices a young person uses.
Before You Deposit, Set a Budget
Gambling is entertainment and it costs money, so it should never be treated as a way to earn income or clear debts. Decide on an amount you can afford to lose, using spare money rather than rent, bills or savings, and set it before you log in, not after a bad run. Use AUD deposits that match that budget, decide how long you will play, and stop when either limit is reached. Winning does not change the plan: if a $20 deposit turns into a bigger balance, withdraw the surplus rather than letting it ride. Keep a note of what you deposit each week so the total is visible to you.
What Happens When You Change a Limit
GoKong gives you deposit limits, session time reminders and self-exclusion options through the account settings panel. A deposit limit caps how much you can add over a chosen period, and a session reminder alerts you after the time you set has passed. Self-exclusion locks the account for a period you choose and stops us sending marketing to it while it runs.
Tightening a limit applies immediately. Loosening or removing one only takes effect after a cooling-off period, so a rushed decision after a loss cannot undo a safeguard you set when you were calm. If you need help setting any of these, live chat is staffed 24/7 across Australian time zones, or you can write to [email protected].
| Tool | What it does | When a change applies |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit limit | Caps deposits over your chosen period | Lowering is immediate, raising follows a cooling-off period |
| Session reminder | Alerts you after the time you set | Shortening is immediate, lengthening follows a cooling-off period |
| Self-exclusion | Locks the account for the period you choose | Starts immediately |
Where to Get Help Right Now
These Australian services are free and independent of GoKong. Gambling Help Online offers counselling and chat around the clock, and its national helpline is 1800 858 858. Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14. Gamblers Anonymous Australia runs peer support groups.
BetStop is the National Self-Exclusion Register, an Australian Government initiative, and it covers licensed Australian operators only, so it does not exclude you from GoKong. To exclude yourself from this site use the self-exclusion option in your account settings or ask live chat to set it up.