NSW regulator files charges against two gaming venues

The licensees of the Chittaway Bay Tavern and the Regent Hotel in Sydney face charges over alleged breaches of New South Wales gaming laws.

Australia.- The licensees of Chittaway Bay Tavern and Regent Hotel are to appear in court charged with violations of New South Wales (NSW) gaming laws. The charges were brought following inspections by Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW). 

At Chittaway Bay Tavern, alleged breaches included the positioning of gaming machines in a manner visible from outside the hotel, the placement of an ATM in the gaming machine area and requiring patrons to pass through the gaming room to access the ATM. 

At Regent Hotel in Kingsford, Sydney, alleged violations were allowing gaming machines to operate outside of licensed trading hours and permitting a gaming machine to operate during the three-hour shutdown period. 

The licensee of Chittaway Bay Tavern, Dianne Lee Walsh, and the licensee of Regent Hotel, Jessica Ng, are scheduled to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on July 11, 2023, to address the charges. 

In May, the government announced that it was going to reduce the number of electronic gaming machines in the state by more than 3,000. It has also approved a tenfold reduction in the cash feed-in limit for all new poker machines entering service from July 1. The new limit will be AU$500 (US$334.95) instead of AU$5,000.

See also: Liquor & Gaming NSW orders venues to move gaming machines