Urgent Help for Gambling, Scams and Emotional Distress in Brunei

If you feel overwhelmed right now

Stop gambling, sending money or replying to messages until you feel able to make a calm decision. Move away from the betting account, payment app or conversation that is creating pressure. If possible, sit with a trusted person and tell them plainly that you need help staying away from further payments or gambling.

If you believe you may harm yourself or someone else, or you cannot keep yourself safe, seek immediate help from local emergency services or go to the nearest suitable medical facility. Do not remain alone with an urgent safety risk. For emotional support, the Brunei Ministry of Health source supplied for this guide lists Talian Harapan 145. Confirm current availability and the type of assistance offered when you make contact.

Choose the right kind of support

Different problems call for different routes. Emotional distress, gambling-related urges, a suspected scam and a question about the law are not the same issue. You can use more than one source of help, but do not assume that a support service can investigate an operator, reverse a payment or give a legal ruling.

Talian Harapan 145 and emotional support

The supplied Ministry of Health record lists Talian Harapan 145 for emotional support. That makes it a relevant contact when gambling losses, fear, shame, family conflict or scam pressure are affecting your emotional wellbeing. You do not need to wait until a situation becomes unmanageable before asking for support.

Before contacting a support line, you may want to write down what is happening in simple terms: whether the problem involves gambling, money, threats, sleeplessness or thoughts of self-harm. You can share only what you are comfortable sharing. Avoid treating a support conversation as proof that a particular operator or individual has committed an offence; emotional support and fact-finding have different purposes.

If you are supporting another person, listen without arguing about the amount lost or demanding immediate explanations. Help them step away from further payments, keep them company and encourage direct contact with an appropriate support service.

Anti-Scam Helpline 16993

The supplied RTB record documents the launch and purpose of the Anti-Scam Helpline 16993. It is relevant when someone has received a suspicious offer, been pressured to transfer money, shared account details or believes a payment-related interaction may be fraudulent.

Before contacting the helpline, stop communicating with the suspected scammer unless an appropriate authority tells you otherwise. Do not pay a claimed “release fee”, “verification charge” or “recovery charge” merely because a message demands it. A new request for money is not evidence that an earlier payment can be recovered.

Use the official contact details in the supplied source rather than relying on a number copied from an unsolicited message. The record establishes the helpline’s launch and purpose; it does not, by itself, establish that any particular website, account or transaction is a scam.

Preserve information without putting yourself at risk

Keep useful records before deleting messages or closing an account. Save payment receipts, dates, amounts, account identifiers, email addresses, telephone numbers, usernames, website addresses and the exact wording of important requests. Screenshots can help preserve context, including the date, time and sender where those details are visible.

Store copies somewhere that the suspected sender cannot alter. Do not sign in through a link supplied in a suspicious message just to collect more information. Do not forward identity documents, passwords, one-time codes or card details to an unknown contact. If you have already shared credentials, change them through the genuine service’s normal sign-in route and review other accounts that used the same password.

When describing the incident, separate what you personally observed from what somebody claimed. For example, record that a message requested a transfer, rather than stating as a proven fact that the sender was a criminal. This distinction makes a report clearer and avoids turning an allegation into a conclusion.

Gambling-related harm and confidential support

Gambling Therapy is listed in the supplied evidence as a confidential international gambling-harm support service. It is not a Brunei regulator. Its role should therefore be understood as support for gambling-related difficulties, not licensing, enforcement, complaint adjudication or recovery of funds.

Useful first steps can include removing saved payment details, taking a break from gambling-related accounts, asking a trusted person to help with money boundaries and avoiding situations that trigger urgent play. Do not chase losses by increasing stakes or borrowing money. If you have debts, threats or family conflict, explain those details when asking for help so that the support can address the wider situation.

Confidential support does not mean that every service has identical privacy rules or availability. Read the service’s current information before sharing sensitive details, and do not send passwords, payment authentication codes or unnecessary identity documents.

Legal information is separate from urgent support

The supplied Attorney General’s Chambers source is the direct text of the Common Gaming Houses Act, Chapter 28. It is a legal source, not an emotional-support line, scam hotline or personal legal consultation. A legal text can provide important context, but applying it to a particular person, transaction, website or set of facts may require qualified local advice.

Do not describe an operator as lawful, unlawful, licensed or criminal solely because a message, review or user report says so. Similarly, an allegation about a failed withdrawal or suspicious conduct is not an established finding unless supported by an appropriate dated official record or corroborated evidence. Keep urgent safety decisions separate from conclusions that require investigation.

For broader legal and regulatory reading, use the supplied licence and law information. For warnings and complaint-handling guidance, use complaints and scam warnings.

How to ask someone you trust for help

Choose a person who is calm, discreet and able to help with practical boundaries. You might say: “I am worried about gambling or a payment request. Please stay with me while I stop contact and review what happened.” Give them a specific task, such as keeping payment cards temporarily, checking that messages are preserved or accompanying you while you contact support.

Agree on what should happen next: no further deposits, no borrowing to continue gambling, no replies to the suspected scammer and a check-in at a set time. If the person is controlling, threatening or involved in the problem, choose a different supporter and protect your privacy.

moh.gov.bn · rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn · gamblingtherapy.org · agc.gov.bn

Frequently asked questions