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Playing With Us on Your Own Terms
At Vegastars, a session should be paid-for entertainment with a budget and a stopping point. It should never be a way to earn money, cover a bill or win back what you lost. Our games are for adults: we usually show an 18+ notice, and 18 is the age of majority under Australian state law.
Below we explain how our play controls work, which one suits which situation and where to find independent help in Australia, whether you want a small adjustment or a complete break.
How Our Play Controls Work
The idea behind every control is simple: you set a boundary while you feel calm, and it is there later, when a losing run or a late night makes decisions harder. That is the main reason to set a limit before you need one rather than in the middle of a session.
The options fall into two groups. Limits set a ceiling and let you keep playing below it, which suits players who enjoy the games but want the spending to stay predictable. Breaks, which as a rule range from a cool-off to self-exclusion, pause play altogether and suit anyone who feels the games are taking up more money, time or attention than intended.
Changes in each direction are treated differently, and that is deliberate. Lowering a limit typically takes effect quickly, because a tighter boundary protects you. Raising one usually comes into force only after a cooling-off period, so a decision made in a heated moment does not apply straight away.
If you are unsure which control to start with, our live chat team can talk you through the options. Asking for help with a limit is a normal request, and nobody needs a reason to make one.
Tools in Your Account
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Deposit limit | Usually caps how much you can pay in |
| Loss limit | Typically sets a ceiling on how much you can lose |
| Wager limit | As a rule, restricts the total you can stake |
| Cool-off | Usually pauses your play for a break |
| Self-exclusion | Typically closes the account to play for a longer stop |
Setting Up and Changing Your Limits
Choosing a deposit limit
Start from the sum you can spend on entertainment without touching money for rent, groceries or bills. That figure, not the bonus on offer, is the right ceiling.
Adding loss and wager limits
A deposit limit controls what goes in, while a loss or wager limit typically controls what happens once the money is in your balance. Using one of them alongside a deposit limit gives you a second boundary within the same session.
Lowering and raising limits
A tighter limit is the quick change to make. If you want a higher limit later, the wait before it usually applies gives you space to reconsider. When the wait feels frustrating, treat that feeling as useful information about your play.
Which Option Fits Your Situation
| Situation | Option to consider | First step for you |
|---|---|---|
| Spending creeps above your plan | Deposit limit | Set it at the sum your entertainment budget allows |
| Losses within a session grow fast | Loss limit | Choose the loss you would accept on a bad night |
| Stakes keep getting bigger | Wager limit | Fix a total that matches how you used to play |
| You need a pause to think | Cool-off | Take the break before the next session, not during it |
| Gambling feels out of control | Self-exclusion | Close the account to play and tell someone you trust |
| You want to talk it through | National Gambling Helpline | Call 1800 858 858 and say what is worrying you |
A ceiling suits you while play still feels enjoyable. A break suits you once it does not.
Independent Help in Australia
Our tools are one part of the picture. Support from people outside gambling matters just as much, for players and for the people close to them:
- National Gambling Helpline, 1800 858 858. The national helpline for Australia. Save the number in your phone now, so it is there on the night you want to talk, whether you plan to cut back or stop.
- Gambling Help Online. Online counselling, for anyone who would rather not start with a phone call.
- Someone you trust. Telling a partner, friend or relative about your play is often the hardest step and one of the most helpful. Ask them to help you keep to a budget or to notice when sessions run long.
- Your own boundaries in our account. Any of the controls described earlier can be set before your next session, and our live chat team can help with each step.
- A plan before you call. Note roughly how often you play, how much you have spent recently and what tends to start a session. It makes a first conversation with a counsellor easier.
Watch for the signs that play is slipping: chasing losses with another deposit, sessions that run far past what you planned, gambling with money meant for essentials, or hiding your play from people close to you. Any one of them is reason enough to pause and reach out.