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Gambling-related exclusions
Excluding (or banning) people from gaming areas, products and services in licensed venues is a harm reduction measure that can help patrons reduce the risks of experiencing gambling-related harm.
Gambling-related exclusions can be:
- requested by patrons—this is known as 'self-exclusion'
- directed by gambling providers—this is known as 'venue-initiated exclusion'.
Most gambling providers (except lotteries, bingo, charities and not-for-profits) are legally responsible for actively enforcing gambling-related exclusions.
This guide explains the 2 types of gambling-related exclusions. It also provides exclusion signage to use in your licensed venue and exclusion forms to meet your compliance requirements.
Processing venue-initiated exclusions
Venue-initiated exclusions are directed by the gambling provider. You can issue an exclusion if you believe the patron is experiencing gambling-related harm. You can exclude the patron from your licensed premises or the gaming machine areas within the premises.
Use the venue-initiated exclusion flowchart as a guide to processing exclusions.
Gambling providers must complete form 3D—exclusion direction and form 3I—information notice—exclusion direction to start a venue-initiated exclusion.
Venue-initiated exclusions remain in place for 5 years unless the patron applies in writing to your venue to revoke the exclusion, and you agree.
If you initiate the exclusion of a patron (or refuse an application for re-entry by an excluded patron), they can appeal that decision to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).
Also consider...
- Complete the gambling-related incident report.
- Find out about exclusion compliance for gambling providers.
- Learn more about gambling harm minimisation campaigns.
Processing patron-initiated self-exclusions
A patron can remotely set up a self-exclusion for 1 or more venues without having to physically enter a venue. They can do this through the State Government-funded Gambling Help Queensland service.
Patrons can make a personal commitment to creating safer gambling behaviours by excluding themselves from a gaming venue (or part of it), or a gambling activity or product. They can set this up in person at the venue, or remotely through Gambling Help Queensland.
Read the resource manual relevant to your industry for information on how to process self-exclusions.
In-person self-exclusions
If a patron wants to self-exclude from your venue (or the gaming area), you must help them complete the exclusion process. You should also give them the details of a gambling help service provider and offer to help them contact the service.
Use the in-person self-exclusion flowchart as a guide to processing in-person self-exclusions and follow these steps.
Step 1—Receive the application
Patrons applying to self-exclude in person must complete form 3A—self-exclusion notice and give it to you, the licensee, to process.
Let the patron know the self-exclusion will be in place for 5 years and can't be revoked in the first 12 months after they have received form 3B—self-exclusion order from you, except within a 24-hour cooling-off period.
Step 2—Complete a self-exclusion order
After you receive the application, you must complete form 3B—self-exclusion order and promptly give it to the patron in-person, or by email or post (you can be fined if you don't do this).
The 24-hour cooling-off period starts when you provide form 3B to the patron.
Remote self-exclusions through a Gambling Help service
If a customer asks you about remote self-exclusion, use the remote self-exclusion flowchart as a guide to help them.
You should refer them to their local Gambling Help Queensland service or the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858. Gambling Help Queensland provides free, confidential counselling and support across the state.
Remote self-exclusion follows the same process as in-person self-exclusion, and includes these additional steps:
- verifying the person's identity
- confirming the gambling help service is authorised to act on the person's behalf.
Remote self-exclusion allows the patron to self-exclude from multiple venues at once.
Gambling Help Queensland's role in processing remote self-exclusions
Read the step-by-step remote self-exclusions guide for information on the process Gambling Help Queensland will follow to assist patrons self-exclude remotely.
Gambling Help Queensland will send you the following documents:
- form 3A—self-exclusion notice
- remote self-exclusion authority and identification form
- a clear, digital, colour photo of the person (head and shoulders shot)
- a copy of the person's photo identification.
They will ensure the patron understands what self-exclusion means, including that it will be in place for 5 years and can't be revoked within the first 12 months (except within an initial 24-hour cooling-off period). They will also help the patron identify other venues to exclude themselves from—generally, these will be close to their home or workplace (up to a maximum of 30 venues).
Your role in processing remote self-exclusions
Give Gambling Help Queensland the name and email address of a contact person at your venue to receive the self-exclusion documents.
Then, follow the same steps for in-person exclusions.
You need to complete and give form 3B—self-exclusion order to both the patron and the Gambling Help Queensland service provider. The 24-hour cooling-off period starts when you provide form 3B back to them.
Also consider...
- Complete the gambling-related incident report.
- Find out about exclusion compliance for gambling providers.
- Learn more about gambling harm minimisation campaigns.
Exclusion compliance for gambling providers
Under liquor and gaming legislation, all gambling providers (except lotteries, bingo, charities and not-for-profits) must take reasonable steps to prevent excluded patrons from entering or remaining in licensed premises or gaming machine areas.
Ensure your staff are trained in how to recognise and respond to the signs of gambling-related harm and how to provide patrons advice about, and assistance with, exclusion.
To understand what you must do:
- read Guideline 16—Preventing excluded persons entering or remaining on licensed premises
- read the resource manual for your respective industry
- read the code of practice
- familiarise yourself with venue-initiated exclusion and self-exclusion forms and reporting tools.
Tips for helping patrons comply with exclusions
- Don't send excluded patrons any promotional or advertising material about the venue (fines may apply). Remove them from your mailing lists and social media accounts.
- Ensure card-based gaming and player loyalty accounts are disabled (partially or fully) or cancelled when an exclusion takes effect. Make sure the patron doesn't reactivate their card or open a new account during their exclusion period.
- Ensure staff have seen photos of excluded patrons and scan CCTV for them (consider using facial recognition technology).
- Ensure staff don't pay out jackpots to excluded patrons (ensure form 30—payout refusal report is completed and lodged with the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) as soon as possible).
- If an excluded person is identified in your venue, escort them from the venue in an orderly and sensitive way and offer to help them get in touch with a gambling help service.
What to do if a patron breaches an exclusion
You're required by law to take reasonable steps to prevent excluded patrons accessing exclusion areas and remove patrons who breach exclusions. Your venue must have policies and procedures to prevent excluded patrons from entering or remaining on the premises.
You (and the excluded patron) have obligations to ensure a contravention of an exclusion order/direction doesn't occur. Any contravention will be investigated by OLGR and all contributing factors will be examined.
You're also required by law to report to OLGR any patron who breaches their exclusion. You must complete form 3H—notice of contravention of self-exclusion order/exclusion direction and lodge it with OLGR within 7 days, along with a copy of the self-exclusion order (form 3B) or exclusion direction (form 3D). You can lodge it:
- by email to gamingcompliance@justice.qld.gov.au
- in person at an OLGR office
- by post to
- Locked Bag 180
CITY EAST QLD 4002.
- Locked Bag 180
- complete form 3G—register of excluded persons, keep it onsite and make it available for inspection by an OLGR officer
- report to OLGR using form 3R—report on excluded persons, every 6 months (within 14 days of the end of June and December each year).
- Download compliance signage and other materials for gambling providers.
- Learn about processing remote gambling exclusions.
- Read more about compliance for gaming machine licensees.
(Mark it attention to Gaming Compliance.)
How to meet your reporting requirements
A gaming operator is required to keep an up-to-date register of their excluded patrons as well as regularly report on excluded patrons to OLGR. To meet these reporting requirements, you must:
Also consider...
Cancelling or revoking exclusion
Revoking venue-initiated exclusions
You, as a gambling provider, can only accept an application to revoke a venue-initiated exclusion 12 months after the day the exclusion was issued. The patron can only make 1 application in any 12-month period.
The patron must complete form 3E—application to revoke exclusion direction and lodge it with you.
Within 28 days after receiving the application, you must revoke the exclusion or refuse the application. Failure to decide within 28 days will be considered a decision to refuse the application.
To make your decision, you can consider any information you think is relevant, including for example:
- supporting information provided by the patron
- previous history of contraventions
- recent gambling behaviours
- a psychologist's report.
If you decide to revoke the exclusion, as soon as possible, you must give the patron form 3F—revocation notice—exclusion direction. The revocation takes effect when the notice is given to the patron.
If you decide to refuse the application, as soon as possible, you must give the patron form 3J—information notice—refusal to revoke an exclusion direction.
Read the resource manual for your respective industry to find out more.
Cancelling self-exclusions
You can only accept an application to revoke a patron-initiated self-exclusion from the patron themself, on form 3C—revocation notice—self-exclusion order and:
- within a 24-hour cooling-off period from the when the patron received form 3B—self-exclusion order (cancellation takes effect immediately once you receive the revocation notice)
- after 12 months from the date of exclusion (cancellation takes effect 28 days after you receive the revocation notice).
Active monitoring program
As a condition of re-entry after an exclusion period, with the patron's permission, you can start an active monitoring program to assist in reducing any gambling-related harm.
An active monitoring program may involve venue staff monitoring the activities and behaviour of the patron who is at risk of gambling-related harm to assist in reducing the risks. But it is more involved than venue-initiated observation procedures. It is a formalised plan between your venue and the patron—it may also include the cooperation of gambling support services and other support networks.
The program should be in place for a minimum of 6 months before being reviewed for effectiveness and meeting the patron's ongoing needs.
Once implemented, you can manage the active monitoring program by:
- keeping a completed consent to monitor my gambling activities form and a photo of the patron on file
- advising relevant staff that the patron is on an active monitoring program
- keeping a record of the patron's daily gambling activities, including the time and money they spend on gambling
- reviewing the patron's gambling activities and suitability to continue gambling at the venue
- where possible, providing the patron a 'player activity statement' (sourced from your licensed monitoring software) at agreed intervals (e.g. weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly).
You can also use an active monitoring program as a proactive measure when a patron has:
- refused self-exclusion after a discussion
- displayed behaviours consistent with gambling-related harm
- revoked a self-exclusion order
- recently ceased self-exclusion.
Also consider...
- Read the revocation process flowchart as a guide to processing revocations.
- Read more about the conditions of re-entry and give them to patrons who have had their exclusion cancelled or revoked.
- Read more about compliance for gaming machine licensees.
Gambling-related exclusion forms and signs
If you need help completing any of these forms, contact the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR).
Self-exclusion forms |
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Individuals seeking to self-exclude from a venue or gambling activity must complete form 3A and give it to the gambling provider(s). |
On receipt of form 3A, the gambling provider must complete form 3B and give it to the individual as an acknowledgement of their self-exclusion. |
Form 3C—revocation notice—self-exclusion order Individuals seeking to cancel self-exclusion must complete form 3C and lodge it with the gambling provider. Form 3C can only be lodged:
|
Venue-initiated exclusion forms |
The gambling provider must complete form 3D and give it to the individual to exclude them from a venue or gambling activity (also complete form 3I). |
Form 3E—application to revoke exclusion direction Individuals seeking to cancel venue-initiated exclusions must complete form 3E and lodge it with the gambling provider. (Gambling providers must then complete either form 3F (revocation notice) or form 3J (refusal).) Form 3E can only be lodged 12 months after the exclusion commenced. Only 1 application can be lodged by a patron in any 12-month period. |
Form 3F—revocation notice—exclusion direction (approval) On receipt of form 3E, the gambling provider must complete form 3F and give it to the individual to confirm the cancellation of the venue-initiated exclusion. (Complete form 3J instead, if you refuse the application.) |
Form 3I—information notice—exclusion direction The gambling provider must complete form 3I and give it to the individual with form 3D, to provide information about why the exclusion has been issued (complete with form 3D). |
Form 3J—information notice—refusal to revoke an exclusion direction On receipt of form 3E, the gambling provider must complete form 3J and give it to the individual to provide information about why they have refused to cancel the exclusion. (Complete form 3F instead, if you approve the application.) |
Breach or contravention forms |
Form 3H—notice of contravention of self-exclusion order/exclusion direction The gambling provider completes form 3H if an individual breaches a self-exclusion order or direction, and lodges it with OLGR. |
Reporting forms (for gambling providers) |
Form 3G—register of excluded persons Record the details of individuals who have been excluded from your venue or from gambling activities at your venue on form 3G. |
Form 3R—report on excluded persons Complete form 3R and lodge it with OLGR no later than 14 days after 30 June and 31 December each year. |
Self-exclusion signage for gambling venues
Self-exclusion signage reminds gamblers they can ban themselves if their gambling is too much to cope with.
Download the following signs and brochures for use in your venue:
- Exclusion information brochure
- Exclusion sign (standard)
- Exclusion sign (name and photo)
- Exclusion sign (name only)
- Self-exclusion in effect? It's illegal to enter
- Entering with self-exclusion in effect is against the law
- Gambling Help Service phone numbers poster
- Gambling Help takeaway contact card (folded wallet card)
Also consider...
- Order free gambling support resources online
- Learn more about processing venue-initiated exclusions and patron-initiated exclusions.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021