Self Exclusion In Practice

I proceeded to apply for self-exclusion from all clubs within my area as a result of yet another "bust". To begin with I contacted one of the clubs to determine what I was required to do. They explained that I needed to turn up at the club and they would go through the process with me. I would be required to sign a form and I was to bring with me 2 passport sized photographs of myself.

The following is a record of what happened at each of the clubs I visited, in order. In my instance I brought a support person with me to ensure that I would be safe and secondly to ensure that I fully understood what I was signing. It should be noted that this was not explained to me at the time of contact, though they did suggest that I take the document away for consideration before signing.

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Club 1

On arriving there was no one in the manager’s office and I needed to approach the bar to have someone assist me. They took me to their office and explained that they hadn't done this before. They managed to find the regulations associated with self-exclusion. Together with my support person we where able to determine what was required. They didn't have a standard form prepared and we photocopied the sample forms out of the manual. They did offer us gambling information such as G-line and other brochures i.e. Dept. Gaming and Racing brochures. Overall they where helpful and supportive however I got the feeling they didn't know what they where doing.

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Club 2

At the front desk the assistant called the manager and asked us to wait. We where left in the front foyer. The manager came out with the forms and proceeded to explain to us the process at the front desk. Though this was not uncomfortable for me, I would expect some people could feel a bit anxious.

The documentation was a standard form prepared by Clubsafe. I was keen to self-exclude myself from the entire club and not just the gaming area. He asked me if I was sure that I wished to do this as “you wouldn't be able to use the other facilities within the club”. He didn't offer us any other supportive documentation.

During the process he explained that some other person come to the club to self-exclude and asked this person if he was to exclude himself from the nearby pub. This person answered no. The manager said that he should exclude himself from the pub, as well otherwise this process would not be useful. Overall the process was conducted quickly and without much fuss but I got the impression that he wasn't that supportive.

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Club 3

Again there was no one at the front desk at the time and I was required to enter the club to find some assistance. The manager gave me a prepared ClubsNSW form. I was required to fill in the form in front of the manager's office that was located near the foyer area. No additional information was provided. The whole process was not very informative, however it was polite and quick.

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Club 4

The receptionist asked for the manager and he directed us to his office upstairs. He explained that this was his second for the day. He helped prepare the document and took my details. He was very friendly and gave me plenty of support. He was prepared with all the necessary documentation.

The document was a self-prepared document, i.e. not ClubsNSW. He explained his takings from the club and that he averaged around $100,000 per week from 106 machines. He showed me a management report showing his takings over the past year. He also explained that to receive $100,000 income that around $1,000,000 would be required to be put through the machines. He also said that there was nothing you could do to improve your odds that the club would always win. He showed me his payouts for the last day, which indicated that all wins where around $100-300 only and most of time, most of these winnings would have been put back through the machines.

I felt very comfortable with the experience and he gave me a lot of support for taking this action. No additional info was provided. He did have a digital camera available to take a photo if you hadn't brought one with you. This Club is also aligned with another club and the same form would suffice for both clubs.

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Club 5

At reception the manager was called and I was directed into the manager’s office. He gave me a prepared document, yet another type of document, prepared by the club. The form was a very simple one page document though and had all the necessary information though a little light on in details and rights.

The manager helped with the filling in of the document. Again the manager questioned why I would want to be excluded for the entire club and this was not necessary. He explained his process and that in the past he has asked other members who have excluded themselves to leave. He explained that if you refuse to leave then the police would be called.

The manger said he took this very seriously and was very encouraging. He was forthright and firm and gave you some reassurance that the club would be taking action if you attempted to enter the club. No additional information was provided, though he did ask if we required any.

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Club 6

At reception the manager was called and he directed us to a separate room. The form they used was the essentially the ClubsNSW document. He explained how the photos would be kept near the front desk and shown to relevant staff and that these photo would only be seen be staff. Staff where required to keep this confidential. Overall he was helpful and supportive. The club is aligned with the another local club and I was informed that he would be sending out the details to them that day.

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Club 7

The first thing that struck me at this club was a sign very prominently at the front door advising that this club offered self-exclusion. The receptionist got the manager and he directed us into a separate room.

The manager went through the document thoroughly by reading all the clauses and explaining what they meant. This would have been useful with some of the earlier clubs but as we had already been through this process a number of times already it was a little tedious. He had a local Gambling Service brochure and their card. The form they used was the essentially the ClubsNSW document. Overall he was supportive and helpful.

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