QHA Review - September 2017

The Hon. Yvette D’Ath
MP ATTORNEY GENERAL
GAMBLING COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND UPDATE
Round 94 of the Gambling Community Benefit Fund
(GCBF) closed on 31 August. I look forward to making
announcements for successful grants at a later date.
This round, we’ve received grant applications
from sports clubs, schools, emergency services
organisations and other community groups.
The Queensland Government is proud to support
dedicated community groups by ensuring they have
the funds needed for projects that may have otherwise
been out of reach.
Keep an eye on the Office of Liquor and Gaming
Regulation Facebook and Twitter pages or the
Department of Justice and Attorney-General website
to find out when round 95 is open.
RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING AWARENESS WEEK
Following on from this year’s successful Responsible
Gambling Awareness Week (RGAW), I urge gambling
providers to continue to promote responsible gambling
and encourage gamblers to stay within their limits
year-round.
RGAW 2017 was held in Queensland from 24-30 July
and this year’s theme was ‘Is your gambling getting
out of hand? Think of your family’. I would like to thank
all of the hotels and staff who contributed to this
year’s success.
This year’s RGAW tips included:
• Gamble for the fun of it, not for the money.
• Set yourself a limit and don’t exceed it.
• Don’t chase your losses. Leave. Walk away.
• Gamble only what you can afford to lose.
• Stay in control of your gambling.
Most people gamble at some point or another and
for the majority of people, gambling can be fun and
entertaining. But for some, gambling can become
a problem and have serious impacts on both the
gambler and their family and friends. That’s why
RGAW and the Responsible Service of Gambling
(RSG) are so important.
The Queensland Responsible Gambling Code of
Practice provides a whole-of-industry approach to
the promotion and provision of responsible
gambling practices.
Keep an eye out for the new Gambling Help
Queensland website which will be launched soon and
feature information on the signs of problem gambling,
facts and myths, feature stories and an information
section especially for industry.
DOES YOUR HOTEL NEED A RSA MARSHAL?
Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) marshals are
great assets to any licensee who manages large
numbers of patrons in their premises.
RSA marshals are RSA-certified staff members who
support your staff, including your managers, bar
staff, floor staff and crowd controllers, to ensure RSA
compliance is upheld.
They have the unique responsibility of monitoring
patron behaviour and intoxication levels inside
your hotel, while allowing your bar staff to focus on
customer service for your patrons.
These marshals do not replace the responsibility
on your bar staff to not supply alcohol to unduly
intoxicated patrons, but assist in the identification
of anyone who should not be supplied or who is
consuming alcohol while unduly intoxicated.
To perform their role effectively, an RSA marshal should
not be involved in serving alcohol, providing any
gaming or wagering activities, checking identification
or conducting security duties, including the physical
removal of patrons or controlling access points.
For more information about RSA marshals, visit
www.business.qld.gov.au/liquor-gaming.
QHA REVIEW | 51