Guide to working in a NSW club

To sell or supply alcohol in NSW you must complete the RSA training course. It allows you to:

• supply or serve alcohol
• provide security or crowd control activities
• act as the Secretary of a registered club
• act as an RSA marshal - if they are required in the venue by law or licence conditions.

RCG training is mandatory if your work duties involve gaming machines and you:

• conduct gaming machine duties
• pay out winnings
• patrol or serve in the gaming machine area
• act as the Secretary of a registered club.

ARCG training is mandatory if you are a Responsible Gambling Officer (RGO) or hold a senior role within a hotel or club that operates gaming machines.

The ARCG course covers:

• anticipating and managing high-intensity situations using advanced interpersonal skills
• leading a culture of proactive gambling harm minimisation
• responsible conduct of gambling in practice.

If you are a Club Director overseeing a venue with gaming machines in NSW, RGBO training is an available option for you to meet the 1 July 2024 gaming reforms training requirements.

The RGBO course is a one-hour face-to-face or virtual condensed version of the Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) course, equipping you with a high-level understanding of your venue’s responsibility to minimise gambling harm.

By 30 June 2025, you must complete one of the following training requirements:

• Completion of the Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) and Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) training courses or
• Completion of a Responsible Gambling Board Oversight (RGBO) training course approved by L&GNSW.

Learn more about RSA, RCG, ARCG and RGBO training.

The Licensee and Advanced Licensee training courses are for licensees, approved managers and club secretaries, as you have  greater responsibilities and obligations under the NSW liquor laws. The training helps to better prepare you for the challenges of operating a licensed business, while ensuring a vibrant and safe hospitality scene.

Learn more about Licensee and Advanced Licensee training

Training

Club Secretaries are required to:

1. complete the mandatory Board Governance & Secretary Manager course within two years of their appointment. 
   T: 02 9746 4199 E: training@cmaa.asn.au
2. hold a current NSW competency card with:

Clubs must make information about their office bearers' compliance with the training required under the Registered Clubs Regulation 2015, and any exemptions claimed, available to their members.

• a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) endorsement
• Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) and Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG)  endorsements if the club operates gaming machines.

Learn more about RSAand RCG training

Change the Club Secretary

Make an application to change the secretary of the club through the:

• online form

Before ILGA can approve the application, the new Club Secretary will also need to provide a current NSW National Police Check. You can begin a NSW police check online.

Club managers hold an important role in the governance and management of clubs. Managing a club's assets requires both experience and training.

A training framework for club managers ensures that office bearers are aware of their fiduciary and governance responsibilities, and are able to make commercial decisions that enhance the long term viability of their club. Clubs must make information about their office bearers' compliance with the training required under the Registered Clubs Regulation 2015, and any exemptions claimed, available to their members.

Training

Club managers are required to:

1. complete the mandatory Board Governance & Secretary Manager course within two years of their appointment. 
   T: 02 9746 4199 E:training@cmaa.asn.au
2. hold a current NSW competency card with:

• Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) endorsement
• Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) and Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) endorsements if the club operates gaming machines.

Learn more about Learn more about RSAand RCG and ARCG training.  

Exemptions

Exemptions to completing the mandatory course may apply to Club Managers who have:

• held a manager position in a NSW registered club for three out of the last five years, from the date they were approved to be a manager of a registered club by the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority, or
• been appointed as a club manager in an honorary capacity and is also a director of a club.

Exemptions also apply if a person has completed any of the following qualifications within the last five years:

• Club Managers' Association Australia and Southern Cross University Corporate Governance Program.
• Club Managers' Association Australia and Southern Cross University Corporate Governance Zone Summits.
• Governance Institute of Australia (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators) Certificate in Governance for Not-for-Profits, or the following individual units undertaken jointly: (i) Not-For-Profit Officers, Directors, and the Board, (ii) Meetings, Minutes and Resolutions, (iii) Governance Essentials, and (iv) The Accidental Company Secretary.

Club directors hold an important role in the governance and management of clubs. Managing a club's assets requires both experience and training.

A training framework for club directors ensures that office bearers are aware of their fiduciary and governance responsibilities, and are able to make commercial decisions that enhance the long-term viability of their club and have an understanding of their venues responsibility to minimise gambling harm. 

Clubs must make information about their office bearers’ compliance with the training required under the Registered Clubs Regulation 2015, and any exemptions claimed, available to their members.

Club director training

The ClubsNSW Mandatory Director Training program provides the information directors need to fulfil corporate governance training compliance.

Mandatory Director Training is made up of two core training modules:

• Director Foundation & Management Collaboration: Directors, CEOs and emerging leaders learn about the complex role and responsibilities of a director, as well as important aspects of good corporate governance. Understanding of legislation, strategic and succession planning as well as compliance requirements, are essential elements for directors.
• Finance for Club Boards: Financial literacy is a key skill for directors and CEOs in the governance and management of their clubs. To make smart board decisions, directors need to understand balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow budgets and key industry ratios. Participants are shown the importance of aligning financial reporting to strategic planning.

Find out more about Mandatory Director Training

Registered Training Organisations with the following national units of competency on scope with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) are also eligible to deliver Mandatory Director Training:

• Implement Board member responsibilities
• Work within organisational structure
• Analyse finance reports and budgets.

Providers of Mandatory Director Training are authorised to deliver this training under the Registered Clubs Regulation 2015 and do not require approval from Liquor and Gaming NSW.

Exemptions, Recognition and Credit Transfers

Any director who has served on a club board for three consecutive years or more, up to and including 30th June 2013, can be deemed exempt from completing Mandatory Director Training. However, it is recommended as best practice to complete the course as a refresher. To be eligible for exemption, there needs to be sufficient evidence of the knowledge and skills required for good corporate governance. Directors will need to provide documentation and complete an online assessment to demonstrate competence.

Directors are required to maintain records of core training modules they have completed as they may form part of the L&GNSW regular compliance audits of clubs. To assess and obtain Recognition of Current Industry Knowledge (RCIK), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Credit Transfers (CT), please complete the online application or call the Learning & Development team at ClubsNSW on 02 9268 3000 or email education@clubsnsw.com.au

Responsible Gambling Board Oversight (RGBO) training

To help Club Directors of venues with gaming machines in NSW meet your mandatory training requirements, we’ve introduced a new training option as part of the 1 July 2024 gaming reforms.

By 30 June 2025, all Club Directors of venues with gaming machines in NSW must complete one of the following training requirements:

• Completion of the Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) and Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) training courses or
• Completion of a Responsible Gambling Board Oversight (RGBO) training course approved by L&GNSW.

L&GNSW has developed a standard Responsible Gambling Board Oversight (RGBO) training course. The RGBO course is a one-hour face-to-face or virtual condensed version of the Advanced Responsible Conduct of Gambling (ARCG) course, equipping you with a high-level understanding of your venue’s responsibility to minimise gambling harm.

Note: The timeline for Club Directors to meet the 1 July gaming reform training requirements has been extended from 31 December 2024 to 30 June 2025.

Find out more about RGBO training

Small clubs and large clubs

• Small clubs, with less than $1 million gaming profit, need only two directors trained or deemed exempt from training.
• Large clubs, with more than $1 million gaming profit, need to have all directors trained or deemed exempt from training.

Club director previous ineligibility disclosure

Anyone standing for election or who is appointed to be a club director must disclose any previous period of ineligibility to be a club director or secretary as a result of disciplinary action against them by the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority that has since expired.

The person standing or appointed needs to disclose:

• during the nomination period as defined in clause 31A of the Registered Clubs Regulation 2015 to the club secretary, manager or returning officer (at least seven days before standing for election)
• within seven days of being appointed, if the club board did not request this information prior to appointment, or within seven days of the request being made by the club board.

Clubs need to notify their members about any such disclosures made by displaying a notice on the club premises and website, if they have one:

• at least seven days before nominees stand for election
• within 21 days of appointment being made, along with reasons for the appointment.

Limit to board numbers

From 1 January 2017, all club boards must not exceed nine members.

Board appointed directors

Clubs have the option of appointing directors who hold high level skills or business experience. This provides certainty for clubs that direct appointments can be made, subject to a club's constitution being amended.

Club boards may directly appoint up to two directors with the following requirements:

• the term of appointment is no longer than three years
• the person must be a full member of the club
• within 21 days of being appointed the Board must notify members by placing a notice on its noticeboard and website of the reasons for the appointment. This must include the person's relevant skills and qualifications, any proposed payment for fulfilling their role, and any previous period of ineligibility to be a club director or secretary.

Club director previous ineligibility disclosure

Anyone standing for election or who is appointed to be a club director must disclose any previous period of ineligibility to be a club director or secretary as a result of disciplinary action against them by the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority that has since expired.

Club boards may request that potential appointees disclose any previous period of ineligibility. The appointee must disclose this information within seven days of request, or within seven days of being appointed if not requested by club board.