Evaluation of the NSW ClubSafe Responsible Gambling Program: Opportunities and Challenges for New Zealand Clubs

Abstract

In 2002 to 2003, an evaluation of the ClubSafe responsible gambling program, implemented by clubs in New South Wales, Australia, was conducted (Hing, 2003). The study surveyed members from ten large Sydney clubs to assess their level of awareness of their clubs’ responsible gambling measures, how adequate they considered these measures to be, and whether these measures had changed their gambling behaviour in terms of frequency, expenditure and gambling session length. Comparisons were drawn between "problem" and "recreational" gamblers. This paper draws on that study to reflect on some implications of its findings for clubs in New Zealand. This is pertinent, given that Clubs New Zealand have recently licensed the ClubSafe program from Clubs NSW for implementation in New Zealand clubs. However, there are many differences between the clubs in these two jurisdictions. These include size of gaming machine installations, staff and management training and education, membership numbers, and patronage by visitors. Additionally, differences exist between the two in the legislative requirements for responsible conduct of gambling, the competitive environments they face and certain characteristics of their respective markets. This paper discusses how these factors may pose opportunities and challenges for the effective implementation of ClubSafe in New Zealand.