Ballarat Community Health doctor Deb Greenslade and health promotions manager Louise Feery encourage people to take a break and seek counselling if concerned about the time they might spend with online gambling in isolation.

Australian spending on online betting increased 67 per cent in the first week of April, according to analytics group AlphaBeta.

Dr Greenslade said it was a concerning trend, particularly compared to the five years prior it took for a 50 per cent rise.

With most major sporting codes suspended, excepting racing, novel markets have been opening up like, what colour tie Prime Minister Scott Morrison will wear each day.

Dr Greenslade said boredom and the need for a stress release were likely big factors.

"We know these are very difficult times and uncertain times...People are home and looking for things to distract them," Dr Greenslade said. "The last thing they need at this time is for online gambling companies to exploit them."

Dr Greenslade and Ms Feery said there was a saturation of online poker machine games popping up on social media and many were coming from off-shore.

They said it was difficult to gauge whether people who gambled in casinos or particularly on the region's pokie machines would migrate to online gambling.

"If people are in isolation and taking stock of their lives, they may consider whether they want to go back to pokie machines at all," Dr Greenslade said. "Now might be a good opportunity to get support."

Panic-buying takeaway alcohol jumped 36 per cent in Australia the last week of March. Dr Greenslade said alcohol and gambling were a known bad mix and this was particularly worrying amid lockdowns.

Child and Family Services Ballarat is still providing financial and therapeutic counselling to the Grampians region via phone during business hours: 5337 3333 or intake@cafs.org.au. For free 24-hour help call Gambler's Help, 1800 858 858.

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