L&GNSW to check venues for liquor offers as an inducement to gamble
L&GNSW inspectors will be attending hotels and clubs in November.
Australia.- The New South Wales regulator, Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW), has announced a compliance campaign to check gaming venues are not offering free or discounted alcohol as an inducement to gamble. The regulator noted that although it is legal to provide complimentary or discounted drinks, offering such benefits as incentives to encourage gambling or prolonged gameplay violates clause 47(a) of the 2019 Gaming Machines Regulation.
The compliance campaign will involve inspectors visiting hotels and clubs across New South Wales throughout November to ensure venues are adhering to the regulations. “It is important that controls are in place to ensure any free or discounted liquor is not used to induce patrons to play gaming machines,” the regulator stressed.
L&GNSW advised venues to implement clear guidelines for any alcohol discounts to prevent them from being linked to gaming activities. This might include offering limited quantities of drinks or setting criteria unrelated to gaming activities to determine when discounts are allowed. It encouraged staff and patrons to anonymously report any liquor inducements tied to gaming.
New gambling measures in New South Wales see 93% compliance
In September, the L&GNSW reported 93 per cent compliance with new gambling measures. It said inspectors visited 528 hotels and clubs in the state in July and August to ensure that venues were adhering to new requirements to minimise gambling harm. The majority of infringements discovered were related to ATM signage requirements.
Liquor & Gaming NSW executive director, Jane Lin, said: “Inspectors are focusing on Gaming Plans of Management to ensure they have the required content included, as well as testing that the policies and procedures in the plan are being adhered to. It’s important that venues not only have a plan prepared but ensure their staff are aware of the contents and are checking to make sure it is being complied with.”
Other reforms in the state include reducing the cash input limit for new electronic gaming machines, capping the number of gaming machine entitlements and banning political donations from gaming-involved clubs. There has also been a ban on external gambling signage and an expansion of a state-wide third-party exclusion register and cashless gaming trials. From January 1, 2025, ATMs must be situated outside of a five-meter radius of any entrance or exit of a gaming area in a hotel or club.
