GameCare / Self Exclusion Program

Who can be self excluded?

Any Patron may make a request to be Self Excluded. There is no cost for participation in the program.

What is the Self Exclusion Program?

Self Exclusion is an entirely voluntary program. It is a program that an individual enters on his/her own initiative. A self excluded person cannot play the gaming machines at the venue/s which he/she has nominated to be self excluded from.

Furthermore, the self excluded person is not permitted to enter the restricted gaming area for any reason or purpose. The Patron is permitted to go to the venue from which he/she is self excluded for the purpose of having a meal or a drink, in any other area apart from the restricted gaming room.

If the Patron does enter the restricted gaming room, or use gaming machines at the venue, the Patron will be approached by a staff member who will remind them of their undertakings (clause 4.1 of the Deed of Self Exclusion), and ask them to leave the restricted gaming room, and/or the Venue.

If the Patron refuses to leave the restricted gaming room, reasonable force may be used to remove the Patron (clause 4.1 of the Deed of Self Exclusion).

How can a person be self excluded?

A Patron may take steps to become a self excluded person by:

Contacting the GameCare Self Exclusion Hotline on (1300) 137-404 for a more detailed information kit to be posted to them.

Contacting the Australian Hotels Association (NSW) directly on (02) 9281 6922 and making an appointment.

Speaking with their Gambling Counsellor who may contact the AHA (NSW) on the patron's behalf.

Approaching the Hotel Licensee or any staff member at the hotel for information about the program operated by the AHA (NSW). Information cards are featured on the sides of most hotel gaming machines, and the patron can privately take a card and then contact the GameCare Self Exclusion Hotline on (1300) 137-404.

When a Patron arranges an interview time, he/she will be asked to nominate by name, the venue/s that he/she wishes to exclude him/herself from. Alternatively, the Patron may nominate the districts where he/she lives and/or works. The Patron will also be asked which venue/s, if any, have provided the Patron with membership cards, in order that the Patron can be removed from Venue/s' mailing list.

At the interview...

The interview takes approximately 40 minutes, and is conducted at the offices of the AHA in Quay Street, Sydney. Patrons living outside the metropolitan area can attend an interview with a local GameCare respresentative, arranged and paid for by the AHA (NSW).

The Patron may request other people to attend the interview as support. At the interview, the GameCare representative will go through the Deed, clause by clause, and explain to the Patron exactly what the Deed entails, its ramifications, and answer any queries the Patron may have.

At the end of the interview, the Patron is asked if he/she wants to be self excluded, and is then invited to sign the Deed.

Once the Deed is executed, passport-sized photographs of the Patron will be taken and distributed along with a copy of the signed Deed of Self Exclusion to each of the hotels that the Patron has nominated.

The photos ensure that staff at the hotel are familiar with the appearance of the Patron and all steps are taken to protect the Patron's confidentiality.

These are accompanied by a letter of confirmation advising the Licensee of the period of Self Exclusion and what steps are necessary to uphold the exclusion.

Since the official launch of the GameCare Hotel Self Exclusion program, many thousands people have used this confidential, cost-free service. Many participants have contacted the AHA (NSW) to offer positive feedback on the value of self exclusion as a tool of recovery.

Self exclusion appears to be especially beneficial when it is undertaken in conjunction with individual or group counselling. Some people have reported positive results from combining self exclusion with regular attendance of Gamblers Anonymous meetings.