Australian bank gambling blocks compared — 8 banks, side-by-side
Published 25 April 2026 · 9 min read
Of every move you can make this weekend to slow your gambling spend, switching on your bank's gambling block is probably the highest-leverage one. It's free, it takes about two minutes, and it doesn't show up on a credit file. The only catch is that every Australian bank does it slightly differently — the cool-off is different, the channels are different, and the small print is different.
This guide pulls all eight major Australian options into one comparison: CommBank, NAB, ANZ Plus, Westpac, Up, Macquarie, ING and Revolut. Everything below is sourced from the bank's own support pages and updated as of April 2026 — the links at the bottom go straight to the originals.
If you only read one thing: turn the block on tonight, then forget about it. The cool-off period (the wait when you try to switch it back off) is what does the real work — it gives the calmer, future you a casting vote over the urge-driven you at 11 pm on a Friday.
The side-by-side
Cool-off is the time you have to wait after requesting to lift the block before gambling transactions start being approved again. Longer is better when you're trying to stop.
| Bank | How to switch on | Cool-off to lift | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CommBank | CommBank app or NetBank → Card settings → Lock, block & limit → Gambling block. Or call 1800 222 387. | 48 hours | Works on debit and credit cards. Credit-card block also stops cash advances and ATM withdrawals.[1] |
| NAB | NAB app → Cards → pick a card → Usage controls → Gambling restrictions. Or call 1300 308 175. | 72 hours | First Aussie bank to ship a one-tap in-app block, back in 2020. Blocks sports betting, casinos, online gambling, lottery and credit-card cash advances.[2] |
| ANZ Plus | ANZ Plus app → Card icon → Controls → Gambling Block. | 48 hours | Time-locked: ANZ Plus Coaches can't bypass the wait. Available on the ANZ Plus debit card only — the legacy ANZ app has a separate gambling block on eligible cards.[3] |
| Westpac | Online Banking or Westpac app → Card services → Gambling block. Or call 132 032. | Up to 2 business days | Works on personal credit and debit cards. Auto-applied on under-18 debit cards by default.[4] |
| Up | Up doesn't currently offer a self-serve gambling block in-app. Message support via Up Chat to discuss options, or pair Up with a non-Up tool (BetStop and Gamban work alongside any bank). | Not available | Up is otherwise excellent for spend tracking — but if a self-serve block is the feature you need, one of the other seven on this list will get you there faster. |
| Macquarie | Macquarie credit cards have gambling blocked by default — it's not a toggle. There's no opt-out and no cool-off because it's never "off". | Always on | Macquarie was the first major Australian bank to ban credit-card gambling outright (2019). Their debit cards don't currently offer the same blanket block.[5] |
| ING | Call ING customer support to request a gambling block on your Visa debit or credit card. Not currently self-serve in the app. | Phone only | Block stops authorised gambling-coded transactions on the card. ING also publishes a plain-English "Easy Read" gambling support guide if calling feels like a barrier.[6] |
| Revolut | Revolut app → profile icon (top-left) → Security → Gambling block → toggle on. | 48 hours | Active immediately when on. Doesn't affect bank transfers or third-party app payments — only direct card transactions, including physical and online.[7] |
Source: each bank's official support page, accessed April 2026. Banks change cool-off lengths from time to time — the source links are the canonical reference.
What every bank block has in common
Under the hood they all do the same thing: when a card payment is sent for authorisation, the bank checks the merchant category code (MCC). If it's 7995 — betting/casino gambling, the bank declines it. That's why a block can occasionally miss a transaction (the merchant has been miscoded) and occasionally over-block (a newsagent that mostly sells lottery tickets gets caught up).
What that also means is: a bank block does not stop someone walking into a pub with cash, or transferring money to a friend who then places a bet. It's a friction layer, not a wall. The good news — well-designed friction is exactly what slows urge-driven gambling, because the moment of pause is when the urge passes.
The features to look for
- An in-app toggle. Having to call a contact centre is a barrier, especially when shame is part of the picture. NAB, CommBank, ANZ Plus, Westpac and Revolut all have this; ING and (for now) Up don't.
- A cool-off of at least 48 hours. The decision to gamble is often impulsive; a 48-hour wait gives that impulse time to pass. NAB's 72-hour wait is genuinely the toughest of the bunch — worth the inconvenience if you're trying to stop.
- The block applies to digital wallets too. Most do (CommBank, NAB, ANZ Plus, Westpac, Revolut), because the wallet uses your card number under the hood. Worth double-checking on yours.
What to do if your bank isn't here
If you bank with a smaller institution — Bank Australia, Bendigo, Suncorp, ME Bank, BoQ, Bank of Melbourne, St George — most of them either offer a gambling block (often phone-only) or prohibit credit-card gambling outright. Their websites won't always say it loudly, so the fastest route is to message your bank's support and ask: "Can you put a gambling block on my card?"
You don't need to explain why. You don't need to share a story. Banks have specialist teams trained for this exact conversation, and the request goes nowhere near your credit file.[8]
If you'd rather skip the bank conversation entirely — or layer up extra protection — two free Australian options work alongside any bank:
- BetStop — the National Self-Exclusion Register. One free signup blocks you from every licensed Australian online and phone gambling provider for 3 months, 12 months, 5 years or life.
- Gamban — a paid app (free 30-day trial) that blocks gambling sites and apps at the device level on phones and laptops. Pairs well with a bank block because it stops you ever reaching the deposit screen.
Where BetterSelf fits in
A bank block is a single switch — powerful, but binary. BetterSelf sits a layer above: we read your bank feed, watch every gambling-coded transaction in near real-time, and surface daily numbers that tell you whether you're tracking inside or outside your own weekly cap.
If you're at the start of a recovery, the right move is usually both: switch the bank block on tonight, then use BetterSelf on top to track the smaller cash spending the bank can't see. We keep deep links to all eight banks directly inside the app, so the next time you want to add or check a block you're one tap away.
If tonight feels too hard
Help is available, free, 24 / 7
Gambling Help Online — 1800 858 858 · gamblinghelponline.org.au
Lifeline — 13 11 14
Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636
Talking to a counsellor doesn't put anything on a record. They've heard every version of this story and they're the right people to call.
The honest summary
Switching on your bank's gambling block is the single highest-leverage move you can make this weekend. Six of the eight major Australian banks let you do it from inside their app in under two minutes. The cool-off (anywhere from 48 hours to permanent on Macquarie credit cards) is the bit that does the real work — it makes the future-you who decided to be careful the one who gets the casting vote.
Pair the bank block with BetStop for licensed AU sites, and — if you can swing it — a tool like BetterSelf to keep the daily cash spend visible, and you've stacked three layers of friction without a single conversation about willpower.
Join the BetterSelf waitlistSources
- Commonwealth Bank — Problem gambling assistance (accessed Apr 2026).
- NAB — Gambling support (accessed Apr 2026).
- ANZ Plus — How do I add a gambling block? (accessed Apr 2026).
- Westpac — Gambling block (accessed Apr 2026).
- IAGR, 31 Jul 2019 — Major Australian bank bans credit card for gambling; Macquarie Help — Gambling and lottery restrictions on your credit card.
- ING Australia — Getting help with Gambling — Easy Read (PDF).
- Revolut Help — How does the gambling block work? (accessed Apr 2026).
- GamCare, 17 Mar 2025 — Everything you need to know about bank gambling blocks.