Problem gamblers living in Glen Innes are about to have access to online technology so they can ban themselves from local clubs.
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The new online multi-venue self-exclusion scheme, the first of its kind in Australia, was rolled out during a training forum at Glen Innes and District Services Club on Tuesday.
Glen Innes and District Services Club General Manager Patrick Lonergan said a user-friendly, online system will also make it easier for club staff to take someone through the exclusion process.
“This is especially important for a club like ours, which only has on or two people self-exclude each year,” he said.
“It will also mean there’s no waiting for paperwork to be faxed through, and the images of all who are currently self-excluded from the club are updated instantly.”
Along with the Services Club, management from Tenterfield Bowling Club, Tenterfield Golf Club, The New England Club, Inverell RSM and Inverell East Bowling Club all attended along with two counsellors from Anglicare.
Mr Lonergan said the training forum was run superbly.
“It was very informative and the system looks extremely easy to use,” he said. “All the people there were extremely happy and are looking forward to implementing the system.”
Under the new system, problem gamblers can ban themselves from the whole venue, just the poker machine room or all gambling areas.
ClubsNSW CEO Anthony Ball said the system was developed in conjunction with problem gambling counsellors and those who had self-excluded due to a gambling addiction.
“Research shows that 90 per cent of people who have self-excluded want to be able to ban themselves from multiple venues in one go,” he said.
“Another 70 per cent of participants wanted the option to self-exclude in the company of a qualified counsellor. That’s exactly what this new online system provides.
“We believe that with the support of clubs and counsellors, this new one-stop-shop option has the potential to help thousands of problem gamblers every year.”
ClubsNSW conducted a sim month trial of the technology with the assistance of counsellors from Lifeline Broken Hill and UnitingCare Unifam.
During the trial 136 problem gamblers chose to ban themselves from a combined 569 clubs in Broken Hill and the Central Coast.
Under the previous system, it could have taken weeks or months for a problem gambler to visit each of those clubs and inform the staff they wanted to be banned from gambling.
