Gambling should be entertainment — a fun activity enjoyed within your means. It should never be seen as a way to earn money, solve financial problems, or escape from stress and personal difficulties. If gambling stops being fun, it is time to seek help.
Recognising the signs early can make a real difference. If any of the following apply to you or someone you know, please reach out for support.
You keep increasing your bets in an attempt to win back money you have already lost. This cycle often leads to even greater losses and financial harm.
You feel the need to lie to family members or friends about how much time or money you spend gambling. Secrecy is one of the clearest indicators of a problem.
You are using loans, credit cards, or asking others for money specifically to fund your gambling. Financial dependence on gambling is a serious warning sign.
You are skipping work, neglecting bills, or missing important family commitments because of gambling. When gambling takes priority over responsibilities, help is needed.
You are not alone. These free and confidential services are available to PNG players and their families right now.
Self-exclusion is one of the most effective tools available if you feel gambling has become a problem. Here is how to use it for PNG online casinos.
Log into your casino account and navigate to the Responsible Gambling or Account Settings section. Most PNG-licensed platforms offer a self-exclusion option here. Alternatively, contact customer support via live chat or email and formally request self-exclusion. You should receive written confirmation within 24 hours. Self-exclusion periods typically range from 6 months up to 5 years, or permanently.
Papua New Guinea's National Gaming Control Board operates a central self-exclusion register. By adding your name to this register at ngcb.gov.pg, you can be excluded from multiple licensed gambling operators at once. You will need to provide identification. Once registered, all participating operators are required to honour your exclusion and prevent you from opening new accounts.
Once self-exclusion is active, your account will be suspended and you will be unable to log in, deposit, or place bets. Any remaining balance will be returned to you. You will be removed from marketing lists and should no longer receive promotional emails or SMS. If you attempt to create a new account during the exclusion period, the operator is legally obliged to close it and return any deposits. Do not attempt to circumvent your exclusion — seek support instead.
All reputable PNG-licensed online casinos are required to provide the following responsible gambling tools. Use them proactively — you do not need to be in crisis to benefit.
Set a maximum amount you can deposit daily, weekly, or monthly. Once you reach your limit, the casino will not allow further deposits until the period resets. Limits can be lowered immediately but must have a cooling-off period before they can be raised.
Set a maximum session length after which you are automatically logged out of the platform. This prevents marathon gambling sessions and helps you maintain boundaries around how much time you spend playing.
Opt in to receive regular on-screen pop-up reminders showing how long you have been playing and how much you have wagered. These notifications interrupt gameplay and prompt you to reflect on your session before continuing.
Take a temporary break from gambling without fully closing your account. Cooling-off periods range from 24 hours up to 6 weeks. During this time your account is suspended and all marketing is paused. No action is required to reactivate after the period ends.
Request a long-term or permanent ban from the platform. Unlike a cooling-off period, self-exclusion requires a formal reapplication process to reverse and typically has a minimum duration of 6 months. This is the strongest tool available and is recommended for anyone with a serious gambling problem.
Online gambling is strictly for adults. Everyone has a responsibility to keep young people safe.
All online casinos operating legally in Papua New Guinea must verify the age of every player before allowing them to deposit or gamble. However, parents and guardians play an equally important role. If you share a device with children or teenagers, we strongly recommend installing parental control software such as Gamban, Net Nanny, or your device's built-in content filters to block gambling websites and apps. Never leave your casino account logged in on a shared device, and keep your login credentials private at all times.
If you suspect that a person under the age of 18 is gambling online — whether through an account in their own name or by using someone else's account — report it immediately to the National Gaming Control Board at ngcb.gov.pg or by calling their complaints line. Licensed operators are legally required to investigate all reports of underage gambling and to close any underage accounts found. Any winnings accrued by a minor will be withheld. Protecting young people from gambling harm is a shared community responsibility.
This website is strictly for adults aged 18 and over. If you are under 18, please leave this site immediately.
Common questions from PNG players about responsible gambling support and tools.
The most important step is to acknowledge the problem and seek help straight away. Contact the National Counselling Service PNG on 1800 611 — it is free and available 24/7. You can also use the self-exclusion tools available on your casino platform, or register with the NGCB national register to be excluded from all licensed operators. Talking to a trusted family member or friend can also help. Remember: seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Log in to your casino account and go to the Responsible Gambling, Player Safety, or Account Settings section — the exact location varies by platform. You should find an option to set daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits. Enter the maximum amount you wish to deposit in each period and confirm. Reductions take effect immediately. If you want to increase a limit, most platforms require a 24 to 72-hour waiting period as a safeguard. If you cannot find deposit limit settings, contact the casino's customer support team.
Yes — through the National Gaming Control Board's central self-exclusion register at ngcb.gov.pg. Registering on the NGCB database notifies all participating licensed operators of your exclusion, meaning you should be blocked from opening or using accounts across multiple platforms simultaneously. You will need to verify your identity as part of the registration. It is also advisable to self-exclude directly with any individual casino where you currently hold an account to ensure immediate action is taken.
Yes. The National Counselling Service PNG helpline on 1800 611 is completely free of charge and confidential. You do not need a referral or health insurance to access it. Calls are answered by trained counsellors around the clock. The NGCB also provides free access to its self-exclusion register and complaints service. While some private online counselling services such as BetterHelp may carry a fee, they offer financial assistance options for those who cannot afford standard rates.
There are several options depending on your device. Gamban is a dedicated gambling-blocking app compatible with mobile and desktop that blocks thousands of gambling sites and apps. Betfilter and GamBlock are similar tools. On mobile phones, you can use your carrier's parental control settings to block categories of websites. On home routers, DNS filtering services like OpenDNS allow you to block gambling content for all devices on your network. For Chrome and Firefox browsers, extensions such as BlockSite can be configured to block specific URLs. Ask someone you trust to set the password so you cannot easily disable the block yourself.