Host Responsibility

Policy last reviewed 1 May 2026 · Cliffside Collection Hospitality Ltd · NZBN 9429046318725

1. Our commitment

Cliffside Collection Hospitality Ltd operates a gaming lounge at 118 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown, and holds an approved host responsibility policy as required by section 308 of the Gambling Act 2003. The Department of Internal Affairs regulates gambling in New Zealand, and our operation is subject to its inspection and audit.

Our commitment is straightforward: gaming here is entertainment, it is one part of a resort stay, and it should never cost a guest more than they intended to spend. We would rather lose a customer than have a guest come to harm on our floor. Every member of our gaming team is told exactly that during induction, and duty managers are measured on how they handle intervention, not on turnover.

2. Age — 20 and over, without exception

Entry to the gaming lounge is restricted to people aged 20 years or older. This applies to house guests, day visitors, package guests and everyone else, at all times the lounge is open.

• Valid photo identification is requested at the door — a New Zealand driver licence, a Kiwi Access Card, or a passport. We ask everyone, regardless of apparent age.
• Anyone unable to produce acceptable identification will not be admitted, and our door staff have no discretion in this.
• Minors may not enter the gaming lounge for any reason, including to pass through it, to collect an adult, or to wait for one.
• A person under 20 must not be left unattended elsewhere in the resort while an adult is in the gaming lounge. Our duty managers will intervene if this happens.
• Every other part of the resort — rooms, restaurant, bar, terrace, spa and pool — is open to families.

3. Trained staff

All gaming staff complete host responsibility training before their first shift and refresher training every twelve months. Duty managers hold current certification and one is present on the floor for the whole of every session.

Our team is trained to recognise and act on the signs that gaming has stopped being entertainment for someone: long unbroken sessions, chasing losses, distress at the machines or tables, repeated visits to the ATM in the lobby, borrowing from other guests, or asking staff for credit. Where these are observed, staff will approach the person, offer a break and a drink away from the floor, and provide information about the support available. This is a conversation, not an accusation, and it is held in private.

Where the concern is serious or repeated, the duty manager will offer self-exclusion and, if necessary, will require the person to leave the gaming lounge. That decision is recorded and reviewed by the gaming manager.

4. Self-exclusion

Any person may exclude themselves from our gaming lounge at any time, in confidence, for a period they choose. There is no cost, no fixed form of words needed, and no requirement to explain why.

• Ask any member of staff, or speak to reception, and the duty manager will arrange it. It takes about ten minutes.
• You may also request exclusion by writing to [email protected].
• Exclusion is recorded with a photograph, held securely, and shared only with staff who need it to enforce the exclusion.
• During the exclusion period you may not enter the gaming lounge. The rest of the resort — your room, the restaurant, the bar, the spa — remains open to you.
• An exclusion cannot be lifted on the spot. A request to end an exclusion early is considered by the gaming manager, never by floor staff, and only after the minimum period has run.
• A family member concerned about someone else can speak to our duty manager in confidence. We cannot exclude a third party on request, but we can explain the process and, where the law allows, act on what we observe ourselves.

5. How we run the floor

• No credit, no lending, and no cheque cashing. Gaming is cash and EFTPOS at the cage only.
• No ATM inside the gaming lounge.
• Clocks are visible on the gaming floor and staff will tell you the time if you ask — we do not run a windowless, timeless room.
• Free water, tea and coffee are always available, and we encourage breaks.
• Intoxicated guests are not permitted to gamble and will be asked to leave the floor. This is not negotiable and applies equally to house guests.
• Gaming machines display return-to-player information, and player information brochures on the odds of each game sit at the cage and by the entrance.
• We do not advertise gambling to the public in a way that targets minors or vulnerable people, and we do not promote gaming as a way to make money or solve financial problems.
• Where a hotel package includes gaming credit, it is available only to guests aged 20 and over, has no cash value, and may be exchanged for a dining credit of the same value on request.

6. Getting help

Support in New Zealand is free, confidential and available whether you are worried about your own gambling or someone else's. You do not need a referral and you do not have to give your name.

7. Complaints and contact

If you believe we have not met the standards on this page, tell us. Complaints about our gaming operation can be made to the duty manager at the time, or in writing to the gaming manager at [email protected]. We acknowledge written complaints within two business days and respond substantively within ten.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Gambling Compliance group at the Department of Internal Affairs, which regulates gambling in New Zealand.