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ARCG

NSW | Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling

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    Classroom delivery
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    6 hours face-to-face
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    $290
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    Award issued by Tactical Training Group - National Registration Code: 91054
NSW | Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling Course Logo

Overview

The Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) course is a training program mandated by Liquor & Gaming NSW, designed to build upon the foundational skills developed through your professional experience in gambling venues. The course aims to empower senior staff and management to confidently and effectively support patrons who may be experiencing gambling harm.

By focusing on advanced interpersonal skills, the program enables participants to effectively anticipate, prevent, and manage high-intensity situations. Learners will develop a deep understanding of the ‘conflict cycle’ and ‘stages of change’ models to guide their interactions, adopting a proactive approach through step-by-step guidelines for managing complex scenarios including those involving angry, aggressive, distressed, or suicidal patrons and concerned family members. Ultimately, the course highlights the vital role of leadership in fostering a venue-wide culture of responsible gambling, providing strategies to mentor junior staff in identifying and reporting early warning signs of harm.

Who is this course for?

This course is specifically designed for individuals in leadership, management, or specialist compliance roles within the NSW hospitality and gaming industry.

Mandated Roles

Under the Gaming Machines Regulation 2019, the following roles are required to complete ARCG:

  • Responsible Gambling Officers (RGOs): Designated staff in venues with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements.
  • Hotel Licensees: Of venues that operate gaming machines.
  • Club Secretaries: Of clubs that operate gaming machines.
Recommended Roles
  • Duty Managers and Floor Supervisors.
  • Compliance Officers.
  • Hospitality professionals seeking career progression into venue management.

Prerequisite: All participants must hold a current, valid NSW RCG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) competency.

Course plan

This section focuses on developing advanced interpersonal skills required to anticipate, prevent, and manage high-intensity situations involving patrons displaying disruptive behaviours. Participants will explore the ‘conflict cycle’ model to learn how to resolve disputes positively and use the ‘stages of change’ model to understand how a patron’s readiness to modify their behaviour impacts the support process. Additionally, this section covers the practicalities of the self-exclusion process and identifies the optimal timing and methods for providing meaningful support to at-risk patrons.

This section focuses on the practical application of the RAAR (Recognise, Assess, Action, Record) framework to effectively manage complex, high-intensity interactions within a gaming environment. Participants will develop the specific clinical and communication skills required to support diverse groups, including angry or aggressive patrons, individuals showing signs of severe emotional distress or suicidal ideation, and concerned family members seeking assistance. By mastering these intervention strategies, learners ensure that interventions are conducted with professionalism, safety, and legal compliance at the forefront.

This section examines the leadership responsibilities involved in fostering a venue-wide culture of safety and support. It explores the critical role of debriefing as a strategy to maintain staff wellbeing after high-intensity incidents and provides frameworks for delivering effective feedback and 'feedforward.' These techniques allow management to acknowledge existing staff strengths while proactively preparing the team for future challenges, ensuring that harm minimisation becomes a lived value within the organisation rather than just a compliance requirement.

The final section of the course serves as a comprehensive synthesis of the day’s learning, providing an opportunity for participants to bridge the gap between theory and real-world application. Through immersive role-playing scenarios, learners will practise their intervention and leadership skills in a controlled environment, receiving immediate feedback on their approach. This practical workshop concludes with a final review and Q&A session to ensure all participants are confident and ready to apply advanced RCG principles in their respective venues.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, you will have the knowledge and skills required to:

  • Identify, approach and assist patrons who are showing signs of being at risk of gambling harm or experiencing gambling harm.
  • Refer patrons who are experiencing gambling harm to appropriate support services (including self-exclusion).
  • Understand and effectively apply key conflict resolution strategies when dealing with patrons who are showing anger or aggression.
  • Advise and support venue staff in non-specialist roles to identify and report warning signs of gambling harm.
  • Lead and support a culture of responsible gambling and proactive gambling harm minimisation in your venue.
  • Lead a culture of compliance through the implementation and maintenance of the Gambling incident register and Gaming Plan of Management.

Meet our team

Brenton Miller
Brenton Miller
Training Facilitator - Leadership and Hospitality

Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of the course is $250. This fee includes the cost of the training, the interim certificate, and the processing required to update your NSW competency card.

Yes, if you operate in the state of NSW as a Hotel Licensee, Club Secretary, or a designated Responsible Gambling Officer (RGO) in a venue with 20 or more gaming machine entitlements, completing the ARCG course is a legislative requirement.

This course is delivered over 6 hours (plus breaks) in a classroom or virtual classroom environment by a qualified trainer and assessor.

No. Liquor & Gaming NSW has mandated that this course can only be completed via in-person training. This can be undertaken either through a traditional face-to-face classroom session or via a live virtual classroom. These delivery methods ensure the required level of live interaction and participation in practical role-plays.

Education entry requirements
All participants must hold a current, valid NSW RCG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) competency.

English language requirements
In order to successfully enrol in this course, you must have a level of proficiency in written English, allowing you to engage in the course materials and content, and ensuring you can undertake the variety of assessments.

Physical requirements
No physical requirements apply to this course.

No. The ARCG is an additional requirement for specific roles. You must already hold a current foundational NSW RCG competency to be eligible for this advanced course.

No. While the ARCG is not a nationally recognised unit of competency under the AQF, it is a specialised course mandated by Liquor & Gaming NSW. Successful completion results in an official competency card certification (or an update to your existing card) which is the legal standard for working in the NSW gaming industry.

Once you complete the training and assessment, we will upload your results to Liquor & Gaming NSW portal. Your digital competency card (available via the Service NSW app) will be updated automatically; physical cards can also be updated through the NSW self-service portal.

Your NSW competency card expires every five years. If you hold multiple endorsements (such as RSA, RCG, and ARCG), they will all expire on the same date, five years from the earliest endorsement received. 

Your ARCG endorsement is automatically renewed on successful completion of the RCG refresher course prior to the expiry of your competency card.

Failure to ensure mandated staff have completed ARCG training in accordance with NSW law can result in significant fines for both the individual and the venue, and may jeopardise the venue's licenses.

To participate in vitrual classrooms and access learning and assessment materials, you will need to have access to a computer or tablet with internet access.

Whilst undertaking training with Allara Learning, you will be provided access to a range of support services including:

  • Academic and learning support
  • Language, literacy and numeracy support
  • External support and counselling services
  • Peer networks

For more information please see the Allara Learning Student Handbook. We recommend that you read the handbook prior to enrolling with us.