Financial signs:
- Money missing from bank accounts, wallet, or money jar
- Household items/appliances and valuables missing
- Regularly short of money even though they earn a wage
- Spending priorities or habits have changed
- Having many loans at the one time
- Being secretive about or missing financial records or payslips
- Unpaid bills/disconnection notices
- Lack of food in the house
- Borrowing money regularly or asking for salary advances
- Selling assets to gamble
- Spending more and more money gambling
- Unexplained debt
- Losing wallets or money regularly
- Secret bank accounts, loans, or credit cards
- Takes a second job without a change in finances
- Cashes in savings accounts, superannuation, or insurance plans
- Alternates between being broke and flashing money
Physical and mental health signs:
- Seems far away, anxious or has difficulty paying attention
- Complains of boredom or restlessness
- Mood swings, sudden outbursts of unexplained anger, depression, frustration, hopelessness, and suicidal feelings
- Preoccupied by unexplained worry
- Feeling guilty or remorseful about gambling
- Family complaints about being emotionally shut out
- Gets defensive, reactive, on edge and/or tense
- Headaches
- Stomach and bowel problems
- Difficulty sleeping
- Overeating
- Loss of appetite
Behavioural signs:
- Becoming withdrawn from others/family events and hobbies
- Deceptive and often makes excuses
- Changes patterns of sleep, eating or sex
- Ignores self-care, work, school, or family tasks
- Has conflicts over money with other people
- Uses alcohol or other drugs more often
- Leaves children alone, seems less concerned about who looks after them, neglects their basic care
- Thinks and talks about gambling all the time
- Is less willing to spend money on things other than gambling
- Has legal problems related to gambling
- Organises staff pools / syndicates
- Marital and family and friendship breakdowns or problems
- Controlling and/or manipulative behaviour
- Work-related difficulties including lower performance, and job loss
Time related signs:
- Using increasing amounts of time for gambling
- Being secretive about unexplained absences
- Often being late for commitments
- Taking a lot of sick days or days off
- Taking an unusual amount of time for simple tasks
- Missing work or other commitments to gamble
- Having no time for everyday activities
