RSA vs RSG in Queensland: What's the Difference and Do I Need Both?

RSA and RSG get mentioned in the same breath so often that people assume they are one certificate. They are not. They cover different duties, apply to different staff and come with different deadlines.

If you have been told to “get your RSA and RSG” before starting at a pub or club, here is what each one actually is and whether you need both.

What is the difference between RSA and RSG?

RSA is about alcohol and RSG is about gambling. The RSA is the unit SITHFAB021 Provide responsible service of alcohol, and it covers serving alcohol lawfully, recognising intoxication and refusing service. The RSG is the unit SITHGAM022 Provide responsible gambling services, and it covers gambling harm, supporting patrons and the rules around gaming areas.

Each is a separate Statement of Attainment. Holding one does not give you the other.

Who needs an RSA?

Anyone who serves or supplies alcohol on licensed premises in Queensland. According to Business Queensland’s staff training requirements, that includes approved managers, bartenders, glass collectors, floor staff and room service staff.

There are narrow exceptions. Individual licensees and approved managers holding a current RMLV certificate do not need a separate RSA, and supervised volunteers under certain community licences and permits are exempt.

Who needs an RSG?

Anyone who carries out gaming duties or tasks in a licensed club or hotel. Gaming duties are broader than just being on the gaming floor. Under Queensland’s RSG requirements they include things like:

• Supervising employees responsible for the conduct of gaming
• Supervising access to the internal parts of a gaming machine
• Supervising money clearances, or issuing gaming machine security keys to staff
• Performing or witnessing payouts over $500 as the designated gaming employee
• Preparing self-exclusion orders, exclusion directions or the related registers and reports

If your role never touches gaming, you do not need an RSG.

How long do you have to get each one?

The deadlines are different, which catches people out. You must complete RSA training within 30 days of starting employment. RSG training must be completed within 3 months of starting.

Those windows mean you can start work before you are certified. They do not mean you can put it off. Licensees are responsible for making sure their staff are trained on time, and penalties apply when they are not.

Do I need both RSA and RSG?

You need both if your job involves serving alcohol and gaming duties, which is common in pubs, taverns and clubs where the same staff move between the bar and the gaming room. Many venues ask for both at hiring for exactly that reason, even if your first rostered shifts are only on the bar.

If you are working in a cafe or restaurant with a liquor licence but no gaming machines, the RSA alone is what you need.

Practically, doing both together is the easy option. We run RSA and RSG as a combined one-day course at our Capalaba training centre, so you come out with both Statements of Attainment and do not have to think about which deadline is coming up first.

Do RSA and RSG certificates expire?

A Statement of Attainment for either unit does not expire in Queensland. There are two historical exceptions. RSA training completed before 2002 is no longer valid. And RSG certificates issued by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation before 30 June 2013 expired 3 years after their issue date, though the old OLGR course also included the national unit, so check your records: if you were issued a Statement of Attainment at the time, that one has not expired.

Got your RSA in another state? We cover what Queensland accepts in whether an interstate RSA is valid in Queensland. Course options and inclusions are on the RSA, RSG and Barista course page.