The HOST Program for Addressing Duty
of Care for Gambling Providers
Dr Philip Townshend
Problem Gambling Foundation of New
Zealand
Population 4.5m
GamblingIn
in New
New Zealand
Gambling
Zealand
Characterised by Large numbers of small venues
• Government monopolies for Track, Sports and
Lottery gambling
• 6 Casino’s, 1 large and 5 relatively small
• Non Casino Slot (Pokie) gambling run on a charity
model by 50 trusts and 300 clubs
• 1500 gambling venues in Pubs and Clubs with
18,000 VGM’s
• Gambling opportunities are widely available
The Gambling Act (2003)
• Defines Gambling as a Public Health Issue
• Defines Gambling Venue Host Responsibility
Obligations
– Venues must have policies and procedures for
identifying problem gambling
– Must train staff in host responsibility
The Gambling Act Regulations specify
the content of staff training
• Trained Staff must be on duty at all times
• Staff must be able to identify a customer who
“may be experiencing difficulties related to
gambling”
• Approach that person
• Provide information about
– the risks and consequences of problem gambling
– How to contact services
– exclusion
Problems in Host Responsibility Training
• Staff are expected to intervene in a very public
environment
• Staff anxiety over approaching “possible
problem gamblers”
• Staff turnover is high
• Staff often work shifts and do more than one job
The Host Program
• An online introductory/awareness program
• Half day f-2-f training for venue and gambling
managers
– Up to 25 participants
• An online follow-up program
• Training is supported by a data base that
manages ongoing training and ensures all
venues have trained staff
• Training results in a transportable certificate
All staff are
entered into
HOST database HOST identifies
venues with
insufficient
trained staff
Provides log on
and password
for online
training
And
identifies
untrained staff
Emails venue
and staff
member
Online training
Takes about 2 hours
Can be completed in sections and
repeated if nesasary
Participants read material or watch a video
Each section is followed by a series
of questions
Questions have to be answered
correctly to proceed to the next level
On completion participants can print a certificate
The questions are analysed to identify
areas of difficulty
Employer notified on completion
Video demonstrations of approaching a
possible problem gambler
• This seems effective for relieving the staff
members anxiety about how to intervene
– Participants read material and watch a video then
answer questions
Here is a piece of HOST video
– Have a look at this and answer the questions (you
can take notes)
• Takes about 2 hours
• Participants watch video and read material then
answer questions
• Questions must be answered correctly to
continue
• Portable certificate generated
• Automatic question analysis identifies areas staff
have problems with
Question 25 What were the indicators that Mike may
have a problem with gambling?
(Click the 3 correct answers)
• Mike indicates he is chasing his losses
• Mike becomes physically aggressive
• Mike becomes unreasonably distressed and verbally
aggressive when he can’t put on his bet
• Mike asks to bet on credit
• Mike tells the staff member that he has bet more than
intended and has lied about his betting
• Mike is scruffily dressed
The “Set Your Limits” programme.
(Click the 3 correct answers)
• Allows a gambler to put loss and/or spend betting limits
on their TAB account
• Can be initiated by the NZ Racing Board only
• Can be initiated by the gambler only
• Can be initiated by either the NZ Racing Board or the
gambler
• Stays in effect until cancelled by the gambler
• Stays in effect until revoked or altered by the NZ Racing
Board
Question 27 An exclusion by the NZ Racing Board.
(Click the 3 correct answers)
• Means the NZ Racing Board refuses to take bets from
the excluded person
• Can be initiated by the NZ Racing Board only
• Can be initiated by the gambler only
• Can be initiated by either the NZ Racing Board or the
gambler
• Stays in effect until revoked by the Gambler
• Stays in effect until revoked by the NZ Racing Board
• Question 28
Do you have to justify to the gambler
the reason for making an exclusion under Section 65 of
the Racing Act?
(Click the correct answer)
Yes
No
• Question 29
Did the staff member do each of the
five Host Responsibility Actions? That is:
Observe, Record, Identify, Approach and Educate
(Click the correct answer)
Yes
No
• Question 30 Did the staff member make a
referral to a counselling service?
(Click the correct answer)
Yes
No
Currently
• F-2-F Training has been running for 8 years
– 1200 staff trained to date
• On line Training rolled out at the beginning of
2012
– 70 participants so far- 500 by the end of 2012
• Follow up Program currently in production
Evaluations to Date
• Evaluation of the F-2-F – sessions consistently
rates sessions at 6-7 on a scale of 1 to 7 (where
7 is excellent)
• Evaluation of the Online program is consistently
positive though we have had some criticism of
the acting
• Venue operators appreciate the ease of online
training for staff