RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING EMPLOYEE SUPPORT POLICY

RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING EMPLOYEE SUPPORT POLICY Responsible gambling occurs in a regulated environment where the potential for harm associated with gambl...
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RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING EMPLOYEE SUPPORT POLICY Responsible gambling occurs in a regulated environment where the potential for harm associated with gambling is minimised and people make informed decisions about their participation in gambling. Responsible gambling occurs as a result of the collective actions and shared ownership by individuals, communities, the gambling industry and the Government to achieve outcomes that are socially responsible and responsive to community concerns. Any staff member who believes a member may have a gambling problem should advise their supervisor and/or management accordingly. The staff member should not, under any circumstances, approach or discuss the matter with the member unless they have the authority and training to do so.

Introduction The Wynnum RSL Club has developed the Responsible Gambling Employee Support Policy to minimise the potential harm associated with gambling on the members, management and employees of the Club. In developing the Policy, the Wynnum RSL Club has realistically taken into account the:  

role of the Club and its employees in providing gambling products and services; workplace health and safety issues of employees who are directly employed in the provision of gambling products and services and also of other employees of the Club; and  local community concerns on potential harm associated with gambling. The Policy is a self-regulatory and voluntary instrument and supports Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of Practice and Club-specific supporting documentation (Queensland Responsible Gambling Resource Manual and Responsible Gambling Policy) in the creation of a responsible gambling environment at the Club.

Reference Documents The reference documents for the Responsible Conduct of Gambling Policy are the: Gaming Machine Act 1991 Keno Act 1996 Wagering Act 1998 Industrial Relations Act 1991 Industrial Relations Regulation 2000 Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 The Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of Practice is a voluntary, whole-of-industry commitment to best practices in the provision of responsible gambling. The guiding principle of the Code of Practice states: The Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of Practice is based on shared commitment by gambling industry providers to the guiding principle of ethical and responsible behaviour. This

principle recognises the importance of customers’ wellbeing with a focus on minimising the potential harm of gambling. In addition, customers’ rights to privacy are respected. The Code of Practice outlines six core practices, each dealing with a particular aspect of gambling, that venues should implement to ensure a responsible approach to gambling. The six practices are: Provision of information Interaction with customers and community Exclusion provisions Physical environments Financial transactions Advertising and promotions For employees, the Code of Practice states that: Mechanisms are established to ensure that appropriate and ongoing responsible gambling training is provided to staff who provide gambling products to customers. In addition, the relevant owners, boards and managers receive appropriate information to guide decision making in relation to responsible gambling. The Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of Practice is supported by a club-specific section of the Queensland Responsible Gambling Resource Manual and Responsible Gambling Policy, which puts into operation the six practices at venue level. There are restrictions place on employees involved in the provision of gaming services, and these are briefly explained below. The Gaming Machine Act 1991 states that a gaming employee must not play gaming machines installed on the licensed premises for which the person is employed to carry out gaming duties, except to the extent it is necessary to carry out duties as the gaming employee. The Wagering Act 1998 states that a wagering official must not ask for, receive or obtain, or agree to receive or obtain, any money, property or benefit of any kind for the official or another person for an improper purpose. The Keno Act 1996 stipulates a licensed keno employee must not, while carrying out functions relating to the conduct of approved keno games, take part in keno gaming and is not eligible to win a price for an approved keno game if the person is prohibited as above.

Policy Goals The goals of the Responsible Gambling Employee Support Policy are to:   

create a responsible gambling workplace health and safety environment at the Club as a means of minimising the potential harm associated with gambling on the members, management and employees of the Club; educate and inform members, management and employees of the Club about the potential harm associated with gambling and assist those members and staff members who may have a problem with gambling; and ensure compliance with the relevant legislation to ensure the Club meets its duty of care towards its members, management and employees.

What is Responsible Gambling? Responsible gambling occurs in a regulated environment where the potential for harm

associated with gambling is minimised and people make informed decisions about their participation in gambling. Problem gambling exists when gambling activities results in a range of adverse consequences where:  

the safety and wellbeing of gambling customers and/or their families and friends are placed at risk; and/or negative impacts extend to the broader community.

Potential harmful effects of problem gambling Some potential harmful effects of problem gambling on individuals and the community are:     

Personal – stress, depression and anxiety, poor health, suicide; Work and study – job loss, absenteeism, poor performance; Financial – financial hardship, debts, asset losses, bankruptcy; Legal – theft, fraud, scams; and Interpersonal – domestic violence, relationship breakdown, family neglect.

Do I have a problem with gambling? Only you can determine if you have a problem with gambling. There are various self-assessment tests available to assist you to define the nature and extent of your gambling behaviour. The tests are designed to be holistic, so that they can take into account social, psychological, financial and other lifestyle factors. Your overall score in these tests may give you a general indication of whether you have a problem with gambling, are at some risk of developing a gambling problem or have no major problem with gambling. The validity of the tests depends on how honestly you answer the questions and therefore it is in your best interest to take a test when you are not under the influence of alcohol or in a state of agitation, depression or anxiety. An example of a problem gambling test is given below. Please answer yes or no to the following questions:

Problem Gambling Test – Example only Are you preoccupied with gambling, for example: preoccupied with reliving past gambling experiences, planning the next venture or thinking of ways to get money to gamble with? Do you need to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement? Have you repeatedly tried to control, cut back or stop gambling without success? Do you become restless and irritable when you try to cut down or stop gambling?

Do you gamble to escape from problems or to relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression? After losing money, do you often return another day to “get even”? Do you lie to family members, therapists and others to conceal the extent of your gambling? Have you committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theft and embezzlement or used credit to finance gambling? Have you jeopardised or lost a significant relationship, job or educational career opportunity because of gambling? Have you needed to rely on others to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling? Tally you ‘yes’ and ‘no’ scores. If you answer yes to one or two of these questions, it may indicate you are at risk of being a problem gambler. Answering yes to three or four questions may indicate you have a problem with gambling.

Assistance for management/employees with a gambling problem This Club is committed to the workplace health and safety of its management and employees and is willing to provide necessary assistance and support, upon request, to any employees who may have a problem with gambling. If you believe that you have a problem with gambling, do not ignore it and hope that it will go away. In most cases it won’t! There are several courses of action that you can take. Only you can decide which action (or combination of actions) you feel most comfortable with. Some possible actions you can take are: 1. Contact the designated staff member at the Club, who is responsible for staff matters relating to problem gambling. The designated staff member responsible for staff matters relating to problem gambling at the Wynnum RSL Club is Operations Manager. The designated staff member will then privately and confidentiallydiscuss your concerns and will outline various types of assistance including:  

providing you with a Player Information Guide, responsible gambling brochures, flyers and other information that explains the various aspects of gambling; and providing you with access to professional advice or counselling.

The designated staff member will complete the Responsible Gambling Incident Report (in the Resource Manual) with you and ask you to sign it. The form is for Club record purposes only. 2. Directly contact a community support group hotline: General Name and Telephone Number Gambling Helpline — Tel: 1800 222 050 Relationships Australia — Tel: 1300 364 277 Gamblers Anonymous — Tel: 3356 0117 Lifeline — Tel: 13 1114

Implementation and Review The Club will discuss aspects of the Responsible Gambling Employee Support Policy in formal and informal meetings with management and employees where possible and will also include the Policy in the responsible gambling training program for employees. The Club will implement the Responsible Gambling Employee Support Policy in conjunction with the Resource Manual and Responsible Gambling Policy. The Club will review the Responsible Gambling Employees Support Policy on a regular basis, in consultation with management and employees, and will make such changes as necessary to comply with an ongoing responsible gambling environment for the Club.