Australian Capital Territory

Gaming Machine (Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions - Women’s Sports) 2002 (No 1)

Disallowable Instrument DI2002-119

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Outline

These guidelines should always be read in conjunction with existing guidelines titled “Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions”.

Nothing in these guidelines revokes or amends a licensed club’s requirements under the Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions.

The purpose of the Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions and the Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions – Women’s Sports are to provide assistance or direction to gaming machine licensees that are clubs (licensed clubs) in meeting their legislative requirements in making compulsory community contributions.

Sections 60A to 60J of the Act outline the requirements for licensed clubs to make specified community contributions.  The legislation outlines broad purposes that the community contributions must meet to be eligible and identifies some types of contributions that are not eligible.  The legislation also specifies the amount of contributions that are required to be made by licensed clubs as well as the records to be kept and the reporting requirements.

Amendments made to the Gaming Machine Act 1987 (the Act) by the Gaming Machine (Women’s Sports) Amendment Act 2002 create a new category of eligible community contribution.  The Act now provides that the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission may approve community contributions specifically for the benefit and enhancement of women’s sport in the ACT.

In order to encourage licensed clubs to consider contributions specifically for the purposes of women’s sport, the Act was also amended to provide that licensed clubs will be able to claim $4.00 against their statutory community contributions for every $3.00 donated for this purpose.

Women’s Sports Community Contributions

The Guidelines provide assistance in determining which community contributions are eligible.  Under the provisions of the Act, as amended, women’s sport community contributions, means community contributions that the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission is satisfied will have the effect of benefiting or enhancing women’s sport conducted in the Territory, or with participants predominantly based within the Territory.

The Guidelines indicate that women’s sport can also refers to and includes sports played by women’s and girl’s teams or individuals at both elite and amateur level.

The Guidelines provide that contributions do not have to be restricted to particular organisations or their members.  

Contributions should not be targeted to encourage gambling activity or the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The Guidelines specifically exclude expenditure on commercial activities or to organisations that are trading to make a profit.

Eligible Contributions

The Guidelines provide assistance to licensed clubs by outlining what types of contributions are acceptable and also what contributions are considered eligible.

Form of Contribution

Refer to existing guidelines titled “Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions”.

Criteria for Eligible Donations

Legislative Criteria

For licensed clubs to be able to take advantage of the incentive under section 60G(4) of the Act the gift or donation will need to have the effect of:

•	benefiting or enhancing women’s sport conducted in the Territory, or with participants predominantly based within the Territory.

Meeting the Eligibility Criteria

The Guidelines provide a list of five categories of women’s sports community contributions that are considered eligible under the legislation.  The five categories are provided to assist licensed clubs to allocate their contributions and to be able to take advantage of the contribution incentive.

Contributions to the following will be considered as eligible women’s sport community contributions:

1.	Women’s sporting teams
2.	Individual women’s athletes
3.	Women’s sporting organisations
4.	Women’s sporting events and sporting programs
5.	Women’s sporting infrastructure

Eligible contributions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

•	Wages, coaching, equipment, uniforms, travel assistance, programs, projects, events, facilities, training, insurance and any other costs associated with conducting sports programs for women.

The examples provided in the Guidelines are not intended to be exclusive.  Licensed clubs should contact the Gambling and Racing Commission if they wish to discuss the eligibility of any other form of contribution.  

Contribution Reporting Requirements

Refer to existing guidelines titled “Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions”.

NON-Eligible Contributions

Refer to existing guidelines titled “Guidelines for Approving Community Contributions”.

Revenue/Cost Implications

The Guidelines will not have any revenue or cost implications for the ACT Government or licensed clubs.