OK2PLAY? continues to lead the way as we welcome Magpies Sporting Club to the more than 45 Club’s who have adopted this world leading technology. OK2PLAY? has been developed in Australia to help protect and support those in need from the challenges of Problem Gambling.
“OK2PLAY? is a new digital platform that will help our Club connect with our members and guests and initiate conversations with them about their mental health. Magpies Sporting Club is excited to be one of the first Clubs in regional QLD able to collaborate with the team from OK2PLAY? and initiate conversations which we are confident will only benefit our Magpies community,” explains General Manager, Magpies Sporting Club, Darren Smith.
Across New South Wales and Queensland the rollout of OK2PLAY? is driving the focus to protect and support those in need from the challenges of problem gambling. Magpies Sporting Club in Mackay, Queensland, has put their values of community and member protection first by being the first regional Club in QLD to launch this innovative technology. OK2PLAY? is designed to increase the speed of response between Club members or guests and staff. It enables discreet and private communication that delivers the fastest response times possible for a person in need. By simply scanning a QR code or signalling for help through the patented OK2PLAY? digital platform, members or patrons can request assistance for support. OK2PLAY? triggers a private in-venue response for staff to immediately (in real-time) provide help and then connect them with necessary support services.
Mr Smith was honoured to note, “Our early feedback from our community has been positive, and we have been applauded for our proactive approach and commitment to member wellbeing. Our industry as a whole is very invested in the health and wellbeing of our Club customers.”
“Our team really felt that the Magpies Sporting Club’s values aligned perfectly with OK2PLAY’s values in that we are both invested into protecting our Club members and guests and we are focused on creating open and honest conversations about our patron’s mental health and wellbeing.”
“The implementation of the OK2PLAY platform further demonstrates to our staff and community that Magpies are committed to fostering a healthy and sustainable culture within our Club, not just limited to liquor and gaming, but to the broader health and wellbeing of our community,” said Mr Smith.
With over 129 employees and a membership of more than 20,000, the Magpies Sporting Club has been an integral part of the Mackay community for 39 years, supporting local charities and providing a safe meeting place for like-minded members of the wider community. The implementation of the OK2PLAY platform further demonstrates the Club’s commitment to fostering a healthy and sustainable culture that extends beyond liquor and gaming to the broader health and wellbeing of the community.
Bryan Te Wani, CEO of OK2PLAY? noted “The Magpies Sporting Club Board of Directors and Darren as GM are to be applauded for proactively seeking to deliver on their social licence to operate, more importantly they are to be applauded for caring for members and staff.”
A growing focus in the Club industry, across Australia, is being placed on the need to care for staff who have to assist a member or guest when they are dealing with mental health issues and the challenges of problem gambling.
Mr Te Wani added, “We see a growing number of Club’s looking to protect their staff from the negative impact of managing patrons in need and not just the patron, OK2PLAY? by its design, created from working with leading Clubs does that.”
As Magpies Sporting Club embarks on Stage 1 of its Master Plan in early 2024, which includes the construction of a new administration area and a renovation of the Club’s gaming lounge, the introduction of the OK2PLAY? platform strengthens ties to the community and compliments the upcoming refurbishments by ensuring a safe place to play.
In regional towns such as Mackay, Clubs play a vital role, and Magpies Sporting Club donated just shy of $1.4M to the region in the last financial year alone, making it a cornerstone of the community.
OK2PLAY? will now form a key part of the Club’s values and the ever growing focus on a need to invest in strategies to deliver on the Club’s social licence to operate.
