The Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) course provides the resources and practical skills required to identify and proactively intervene to support patrons that might be experiencing gambling harm.

The ARCG course covers:

• Anticipating and managing high-intensity situations using advanced interpersonal skills
• Managing high-intensity situations involving distressed patrons
• Leading a culture of proactive gambling harm minimisation
• Responsible conduct of gambling in practice

The proposed ARCG training requirements reflect the increased risk of gambling harm that gaming machines represent and support a culture of proactive harm minimisation in venues.

If you’re going to work in a registered club or hotel and your duties involve gaming machines, you must complete competency training in the Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG).

If you don’t have valid evidence that you’ve completed the RCG training required for working with gaming machines, you could be fined.

RCG training provides gaming staff with practical skills to identify and proactively intervene when patrons display signs of problematic gambling behaviour.

• Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG). You must complete this course if your duties involve gaming machines.
• Revised Responsible Conduct of Gambling online refresher. You must complete this course every five years to keep your RCG competency.
• Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG). If you are a Responsible Gambling Officer (RGO) or hold a senior role within hotels and clubs that operate gaming machines, you must complete this course.

Who should complete the ARCG training?

To create a proactive environment focussed on harm minimisation and provide support for RGOs, it is proposed that other individuals related to venue operations will also be required to complete ARCG training, including:

• Club secretaries
• Club directors, unless they have completed ClubsNSW Responsible Gambling Board Oversight training
• Directors of a company that owns one or more hotels, where those directors have an operational role in the hotel business
• Hotel licensees
• Hotel ‘approved managers’ (as defined in section 91(1A) of the Liquor Act 2007)
• Staff who are responsible for the management of gaming machine operations (if they are separate to and not undertaking RGO duties), e.g., gaming floor managers.

This ensures that senior management are aware of their harm minimisation obligations, can help drive venue culture, and are equipped to support RGOs in circumstances where RGOs may need to escalate serious instances of gambling harm to senior management.

The requirements for individuals in the above positions to undertake ARCG will be gradually introduced to ensure sufficient time for training to be obtained. See the link from L&GNSW: https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/working-in-the-industry/licensees-and-approved-managers/responsible-gambling-officers

Disclaimer:

This course contains content that may be triggering for some learners. Sensitive topics to be covered are:

• Self-harm & suicide
• Domestic violence
• Extreme self debt
• Emotional and veried degrees of psychological distress
• Depression and anxiety
• Cultural harm

If you find these topics concerning, you may need to consider if this course is right for you.

All learners must hold a current NSW RCG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling)

From 1 July 2024, all hotels and clubs with more than 20 Gaming Machine Entitlements will be required to have at least one Responsible Gambling Officer (RGO) on duty when gaming machines are in operation. Venues with significantly more gaming machines will be required to staff more RGOs.

RGOs must complete Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling training.

All hotel and club staff, including those working on the floor and senior management, have a shared responsibility to proactively engage with patrons and monitor them for potential gambling harm. An RGO will be expected to have a higher level of responsibility than other gaming staff on the floor, however they are able to seek assistance from any other staff member.

Students will need to meet the following entry requirements prior to course commencement.

• Be at least 18 years old
• Ensure they are able to attend the 7hr virtual workshop for the duration of the course.
• You will be required to complete a Self-assessment on your Learning, literacy & numeracy requirements. This must be completed at least 24 hrs prior to attending the scheduled virtual workshop.
• Have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) – Creating a Unique Student Identifier (USI) is free and will only take a few minutes. You only need to create a USI once and it will stay with you for life. To create a USI, go to: https://www.usi.gov.au/students/get-a-usi
• Have a valid government issued photo identification card (passport, drivers license, photo card, proof of age card). Expired ID will not be accepted and certificates are not able to issued unless identity is verified.

This course includes specific requirements outlined by Liquor & Gaming NSW on the role of gaming personel at every level of the operation, covering a range of topics including:

• Identify, assess, approach and assist patrons who are showing signs of problem gambling behaviour.
• Offer support and refer patrons experienceing problems with gambling to available support services.
• Guide, supervise and support gaming staff to identify and report warning signs of problem gambling behaviour and provide support.
• Establish, lead and support a culture of proactive harm minimisation and responsible gambling.

Learners will be presented with the series of assessment tasks developed by L&GNSW, all tasks will need to be completed in order to be deemed competent in this unit of competency.