NSW RCG Study Guide (Gambling) 2026

Who needs RCG and how to get it

Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) is mandatory training for anyone whose work duties involve gaming machines in NSW hotels and clubs. It is run by Liquor & Gaming NSW and taught only by Approved Training Providers (ATPs).

Who needs it

• Staff with gaming machine duties, staff who pay out winnings, and staff who patrol or serve in a gaming machine area.
• Hotel licensees with a full hotel licence, and secretaries of registered clubs.
• Directors of clubs with gaming machines, unless they have done Responsible Gambling Board Oversight (RGBO) training (from 30 June 2025).
• Directors of companies that own hotels with gaming machines, if they help run those hotels (from 30 June 2025).
• Responsible Gambling Officers, and anyone who plans to do the advanced course (ARCG).

Steps to your endorsement

1. Choose an Approved Training Provider. Courses run face to face or virtually online, and fees vary.
2. Complete the course. Topics include gambling in Australia and NSW, gambling harm, harm minimisation measures, talking with patrons, and responsible conduct in practice.
3. Pass the online assessment: 25 questions, mostly multiple choice. You must get all 25 correct, but you have unlimited attempts at each question.
4. Receive your interim certificate by email. It is valid for 90 days and lets you start gaming machine work straight away.
5. If you are new, take the interim certificate and 100 points of ID to Service NSW. If you already have a competency card, the RCG endorsement is added to it.

Renewal and the advanced course

• The RCG endorsement lasts 5 years. Renew it with the online RCG Refresher before it expires.
• Liquor & Gaming NSW sends a reminder 90 days before your card expires, if your contact details are up to date.
• Doing the full course again before expiry does not extend your current expiry date.
• If your card has several endorsements, they all expire 5 years from the earliest one.

Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG)

ARCG builds on RCG. You must finish RCG first. ARCG is required for Responsible Gambling Officers and senior roles such as hotel licensees, approved managers, club secretaries and staff who supervise gaming. It covers complex patron conversations, decision-making and designing harm minimisation systems. ARCG renews automatically when you complete the RCG Refresher before your card expires.

Responsible Gambling Officers

Hotels and clubs with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements (GMEs) must have a Responsible Gambling Officer (RGO) on duty whenever gaming machines are operating.

• RGOs must hold ARCG. Someone with ARCG must cover RGO duties during breaks.
• Before midnight, RGOs may do other tasks, but RGO duties come first. After midnight, a nominated RGO must focus mainly on RGO duties.
• Venues that do not use all their entitlements can apply for a variation for 12 months.
• Liquor & Gaming NSW does not recommend that security officers act as RGOs.

What an RGO does

• Watches gaming areas for signs of gambling harm and talks with patrons who may be at risk.
• Supports staff and escalates serious issues to management.
• Helps patrons with self-exclusion and support information.
• Keeps and reviews the gambling incident register, and promotes harm minimisation across the venue.

Incident registers and plans of management

Since 1 July 2024, all hotels and registered clubs that hold gaming machine entitlements or permits must keep a gambling incident register. Venues that never operate machines are exempt.

What to record

• Patrons showing signs that they are at risk of, or experiencing, gambling harm.
• Requests from a patron for self-exclusion, information or help.
• Requests from a family member for help. Do not record the family member's personal details.
• Breaches or attempted breaches of self-exclusion.
• Gaming offences, alleged offences and incidents involving minors.
• The action taken each time.

Gambling for 3 hours or more without a proper break is a probable warning sign. RGOs and approved managers should record it and check in with the patron.

Gaming Plan of Management

Venues needed a written Gaming Plan of Management by 1 September 2024. It explains how the venue runs gaming responsibly and what staff should do in gambling-related situations. It must be specific to the venue, reviewed at least once a year or sooner if things change, and all gaming staff must be trained on it. It does not need to be sent to the Authority for approval, but inspectors check it.

Minors and shutdown hours

Under the Gaming Machines Act 2001, a minor is a person under 18.

• Minors must not operate gaming machines (section 50). The hotelier or club is also liable if a minor plays (section 51).
• A venue has a defence if the minor was over 14 and showed evidence of age suggesting they were 18 or older.
• Minors must not enter or stay in a club's gaming area, and the club must remove them straight away (section 52).
• Staff may require a suspected minor to give their name and address and show evidence of age (section 53).
• Record any incident involving a minor in the gambling incident register.

Shutdown periods

Hotels and clubs must not operate gaming machines between 4am and 10am each day (section 39). The Authority can approve a 6am to 9am shutdown on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The rest of the venue can stay open, and liquor trading hours are not affected.

Advertising, signs and visibility

• Gaming machine advertising is banned (section 43). This covers print, online and broadcast ads.
• Gambling-related signs must not be visible from outside the venue (section 44). TAB and Keno signs are exempt.
• Jackpot monitors count as gambling signs. In hotels they must be inside the gaming room and not visible from outside.
• Gaming machines must not be visible from outside and should be away from entrances, dining rooms and family areas.
• Signs near ATMs or EFTPOS machines must not mention gaming machines.

What must be displayed

• Contact cards on each bank of machines, with self-exclusion, counselling and venue help details.
• Approved player information brochures in every gaming area. Translations must be available on request.
• The help message "Think! About your choices" with the Gambling Help number 1800 858 858.
• Mandatory gaming signs from the Liquor & Gaming NSW signage packs, printed from the original file, displayed prominently, and replaced when faded or damaged.

Cash, cheques, prizes and inducements

Banned inducements

• Free or discounted liquor as an incentive to play gaming machines.
• Free credits through letterbox flyers or shopper dockets.
• Any other incentive to play gaming machines.

Self-exclusion

Self-exclusion is a voluntary agreement that bans a person from gaming areas, or the whole venue, for a set time. Section 49 of the Act requires hotels and clubs to provide a scheme and to let patrons know about it. A venue can run its own scheme or use a provider such as ClubSafe or Betsafe.

Minimum requirements of a scheme

• The venue cannot refuse a patron's request to take part.
• The patron chooses which parts of the venue they are excluded from.
• The minimum period for hotels and clubs is 6 months, and a participant cannot withdraw within six months of asking to join.
• The patron gets the chance to get independent legal or other advice, and written details of the counselling service.
• Staff must be able to identify the participant, for example by a recent photograph.
• Staff may prevent a participant entering, or remove them, using reasonable force, and are protected when acting in good faith.

Gambling harm and support

The objects of the Gaming Machines Act 2001 include minimising harm from the misuse and abuse of gambling and fostering responsible gambling. Gambling harm can affect a person's money, health, work and family.

• Notice warning signs, such as long periods of play without a proper break.
• Approach the patron calmly and privately, listen without judging, and offer information.
• Give details of counselling and self-exclusion, and involve the RGO if your venue has one.
• Record the interaction in the gambling incident register.

Venues must arrange problem gambling counselling for patrons (section 46). Free, confidential help is available from GambleAware NSW on 1800 858 858, including for family members who are worried about someone.