Statement from RSL NSW Regarding Dee Why RSL Club Ltd

RSL NSW comprises 348 sub-Branches. RSL NSW sub-Branches operate as registered charities to support veterans and their families. In NSW, the RSL charities are completely separate from licensed clubs, which operate as distinct business entities. For historical reasons, they still use the RSL brand, and many cases, such as in Dee Why, the clubs support their associated sub-Branch charity, either directly or through community grants.

When the RSL was first established to support servicemen and women returning from WWI, veterans worked in their respective communities to raise funds to establish a hall or ‘club’ premises. Clubs grew over the decades, but when laws changed in the 1970s around liquor and gambling licensing, the licensed clubs completely separated from their ‘sub-Branches.’

The RSL trademark is a nationally recognised brand, and its use in NSW is being reviewed.

RSL NSW supports the association with licensed clubs that protect patrons, particularly those who may have gambling or alcohol problems, and support our veteran community.