Several years ago, 90 percent of the people Samaritans supported sought help for a poker machine addiction – but now half of the people they see are struggling with online gambling.

Samaritans gambling counsellor Graeme Penney said the perils of online gambling are detrimental and with aggressive marketing tactics and tempting incentives, more Australians are being lured in.

“A lot of people who seek support are very unhappy with online gambling providers who make it very hard to cancel your account,” he said.

“Often if you do win online you need to wait a few days to access your money, which often tempts individuals further.”

Mr Penney believes through support, problem gamblers are able to turn their life around.

“Eighty percent of the people who come to us for help are able to achieve their goals and stop gambling,” he said.

Mr Penney highlights the key factor to success is helping individuals identify the underlying reason they are gambling.

“Some people are not aware of the real reason for their gambling so it’s a bit of light bulb moment and turns around many other aspects of their life too,” he said.

Samaritans offers a free gambling help service that is funded by the Responsible Gambling Fund on behalf of the NSW Government.

Gambling counselling is available via the Samaritans at Cessnock and Maitland. Call 4993 3455 to make an appointment.