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Can Gambling Affect Your Home Loan Application?

July 15, 2025

Can Gambling Affect Your Home Loan Application?

If you’re planning to buy a home, it’s important to know that your gambling habits can affect your chances of loan approval. When applying for a mortgage, lenders assess your full financial situation—and that includes how you spend your money.

In this article, we explain how gambling affects your home loan application, what lenders look for, and how to improve your chances of being approved.

How Lenders View Gambling

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender performs an affordability assessment. This can include reviewing:

• Income and savings
• Regular expenses
• Credit score
• Recent bank transactions

If your statements show frequent gambling activity like sports betting, online casinos, or pokies it can be a red flag. Lenders may see this as a sign of financial instability or poor money management.

This doesn’t mean buying the occasional Powerball ticket will harm your chances but regular, large, or compulsive gambling transactions could limit your ability to get approved or to refinance in the future.

How to Improve Your Home Loan Chances

If gambling appears on your bank statements and you’re concerned, there are practical steps you can take to show lenders you’re financially responsible:

1. Pay Down Your Debts: Reduce or eliminate personal loans, credit card debt, and car loans where possible. A lower debt-to-income ratio makes you more appealing to lenders.

2. Create a Budget and Start Saving: Build a history of regular savings, even small amounts help. This shows financial discipline and boosts your deposit amount.
3. Check and Improve Your Credit Score: You can check your credit score for free several times a year.

4. Pause or Stop Gambling: If you think gambling could affect your application, consider pausing or reducing your activity before applying. Lenders typically review your last 3–6 months of bank statements.
5. Visit Money Smart for tips like:

• Paying bills on time
• Reducing your credit card limit
• Avoiding missed repayments

Need Help With Gambling?

If you’re struggling to reduce your gambling, help is available:

• GambleAware – Provides tools, support, and a gambling self-assessment.
• Gambling Help Online – Call 1800 858 858 (free, confidential, 24/7).
• Health Direct – Connects you to local support services.

Want to Talk About Your Home Loan Options?

Every situation is different and we’re here to support you. If you’re unsure how gambling affects your home loan application, speak to the Connected Finance team confidentially. We can review your finances and guide you on how to move forward.

Call us on 02 4288 8100
Email: admin@connected-finance.com.au