Host Responsibility

Horizon Quay Hospitality Ltd · Host Responsibility Policy · Version 4.1 · Last reviewed 1 May 2026 · Next review May 2027

1. Our commitment

Horizon Quay operates a gaming lounge, the Horizon Room, as part of a five-star hotel and resort. We accept that gambling can cause harm to some people, and that as an operator we have a duty to minimise that harm. This policy sets out what we do about it, and it applies to every member of staff — from the duty manager to the person clearing glasses.

Our obligations arise under the Gambling Act 2003, which requires gambling operators to adopt and implement a host responsibility policy for identifying and assisting people experiencing gambling harm. The Act is administered by the Department of Internal Affairs, to whom we report as required.

We treat gaming as entertainment: one part of a resort that also includes 114 rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a spa and four event spaces. We do not encourage guests to play, we do not reward volume of play, and we would rather lose a guest's custom for the evening than serve someone who is not in a state to make good decisions.

2. Age restriction and identification

The minimum age for gambling in a casino in New Zealand is 20 years. Nobody under that age may enter the Horizon Room, be present on the gaming floor, or gamble in any part of the resort. There is no supervised entry, no exception for accompanied minors, and no exception for hotel guests.

• Photo ID is requested from every person who appears to be under 25 years of age.
• Accepted identification: a New Zealand driver licence, a HANZ 18+ evidence of age card, a New Zealand or overseas passport, or a Kiwi Access card.
• Photocopies, images of documents on a phone and expired documents are not accepted.
• Anyone unable or unwilling to produce acceptable ID will be refused entry.
• Attempting to enter using another person's identification, or supplying false identification, is an offence and will be reported.
• The age restriction is displayed at the lounge entrance, in lifts, on our website and in every room directory.

Staff who fail to check identification when required are subject to our internal disciplinary process. This is not treated as a minor matter.

3. The gaming environment

The design of the room matters. The Horizon Room is arranged so that guests keep a sense of time, of place, and of what they are spending.

• Clocks are visible from every part of the gaming floor, and the room has windows and natural light.
• No cash machines are located on the gaming floor or at its entrance. The nearest ATM is in the main lobby, one floor below.
• Table limits are displayed clearly at every table before play begins.
• Rules of every game and the odds applying to them are available in printed form at the cage and from any floor manager.
• Host responsibility material — helpline cards, self-exclusion information and harm-minimisation brochures — is displayed at the entrance, at the cage and in the washrooms.
• Breaks are encouraged. The mezzanine bar and terrace sit immediately outside the room, and floor staff will suggest a break where it seems useful.
• Alcohol service follows the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Intoxicated guests are not served and are not admitted to, or permitted to remain in, the gaming lounge.

4. Trained staff and how we intervene

Every member of gaming staff completes host responsibility training before working an unsupervised shift, and refresher training every six months. Training covers the requirements of the Gambling Act 2003, the indicators of gambling harm, how to approach a guest, and how to make a referral without embarrassing anyone.

A duty manager holding a current certificate is on the floor at all times the lounge is open. Where staff observe behaviour that suggests a guest may be experiencing harm, the process is:

1. The observation is recorded in the gaming log, with time and detail.
2. A floor manager watches for a repeated or worsening pattern rather than acting on a single moment.
3. Where the pattern continues, the duty manager approaches the guest privately, away from the table, and asks how they are doing.
4. The guest is offered a break, refreshment, information about the helplines, and the option of self-exclusion.
5. Where a guest is in obvious distress, or where a family member has raised a concern, the duty manager may require the guest to leave the lounge for the remainder of the day.
6. All interactions are recorded, kept confidentially and reviewed monthly by the general manager.

We also accept approaches from third parties. If you are worried about a family member or friend who plays at Horizon Quay, speak to a duty manager or write to us at the address below. We cannot discuss another adult's affairs with you, but we can act on what you tell us.

5. Self-exclusion and exclusion orders

Any person may ask to be excluded from the Horizon Room, at any time, without giving a reason. The process takes about ten minutes with a duty manager, is entirely confidential, and costs nothing.

• Exclusion can be arranged in person at the lounge entrance, at reception, or by writing to [email protected].
• The standard term is two years. Shorter terms from six months, and indefinite exclusion, are available on request.
• We take a photograph with consent so that door staff can enforce the exclusion.
• An excluded person who enters the gaming lounge will be asked to leave, and may be trespassed.
• Records are held securely, used only for enforcing the exclusion, and destroyed when the term ends. See our Privacy Policy.
• Reinstatement at the end of a term is not automatic; it requires a conversation with the general manager.
• Exclusion applies to the gaming lounge only. Excluded people remain welcome as hotel, restaurant and spa guests.

We may also issue an exclusion order on our own initiative where we have reasonable grounds to believe a person is experiencing serious gambling harm, as contemplated by section 310 of the Gambling Act 2003.

6. No credit, no cash advances

Horizon Quay does not lend money for gambling, in any form. Specifically:

• We do not extend credit, offer markers, or allow deferred settlement for gaming.
• Gaming cannot be charged to a hotel room account. Room charging applies to accommodation, dining, bar and spa only.
• We do not cash personal cheques or provide cash advances on credit cards.
• Package inclusions described as gaming credit are a fixed, prepaid amount issued as chips at the cage. They are not a loan, are not redeemable for cash, and cannot be increased.
• Staff may not lend money to guests or borrow from them, and may not gamble in our lounge at any time.

7. Advertising and promotions

Our marketing is for a hotel, and it reads like one. We do not advertise gambling as a way to make money, solve financial problems or achieve social status. Packages that include lounge access always state the age restriction and always remain available without the gaming component.

We do not run gambling-style bonuses, deposit offers or loyalty schemes that reward volume of play, and we do not send gambling-related marketing to anyone who has self-excluded or asked to be removed from our lists.

8. Recognising the signs

Gambling has become a problem when it stops being entertainment. Some of the signs, in yourself or someone close to you:

• Spending more money or time gambling than intended, repeatedly.
• Returning another day to win back losses.
• Borrowing money, selling possessions, or leaving bills unpaid in order to gamble.
• Hiding the extent of gambling from family, friends or colleagues.
• Feeling anxious, irritable or low when not gambling.
• Missing work, study, meals or sleep because of gambling.
• Arguments at home about money or time spent gambling.

None of these are moral failures, and none of them are unusual. Free, effective help exists, and using it is confidential.

9. Where to get help

• NZ Gambling Helpline — free, 24 hours0800 654 655
• Need to Talk? — call or text, free1737
• Problem Gambling Foundation0800 664 262
• Free text support8006
• Salvation Army Oasis0800 530 000
• Information and self-helpchoicenotchance.org.nz
• Safer gambling resourcessafergambling.org.nz
• Emergency111

Face-to-face counselling in the Otago region is free and can be arranged through the Gambling Helpline. Our duty managers keep current contact details at the desk and will make the call with you if you would prefer not to make it alone.

10. Complaints and contact

If you believe we have not met the standards described here, tell us. Complaints about host responsibility go directly to the general manager and are answered within ten working days.

• PostHost Responsibility, Horizon Quay Hospitality Ltd,
  68 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown 9300, Otago
• Email[email protected]
• Phone+64 3 442 7180
• RegulatorDepartment of Internal Affairs, Gambling Compliance

This policy is reviewed annually, and after any incident that suggests it needs changing. A printed copy is available at reception and at the entrance to the Horizon Room on request.