NSW regulator audits 51 venues over new gaming machine shutdown rules
Liquor & Gaming NSW has initiated a compliance campaign to enforce revised gaming machine shutdown rules, resulting in fines for two venues and a commitment to audit 70 more premises in the coming months.
- Liquor & Gaming NSW has audited 51 venues since April and plans 70 more to enforce new shutdown rules.
- The rules, revised in April, removed exemptions for over 650 venues from the mandatory 4 am to 10 am gaming machine closure.
- Two venues have been fined for non-compliance, while 32 received compliance support and one was referred for disciplinary action.
Regulator Liquor & Gaming NSW has completed compliance audits at 51 venues since April as part of a campaign to enforce revised rules for gaming machine shutdowns. The authority announced the results on its website, confirming that a further 70 audits are planned for the coming months. The compliance sweep has so far covered venues in Sydney, the Hunter region and on the North Coast.
End of exemptions
The campaign follows a significant revision to shutdown requirements that came into effect in April. This change eliminated historical exemptions that had permitted more than 650 pubs and clubs across New South Wales to continue operating their gaming machines during the mandatory daily closure period. All venues are now required to cease gaming machine operations for a continuous six-hour period between 4 am and 10 am.
The regulator has previously framed the universal application of the shutdown period as a critical measure for reducing gambling-related harm. Dimitri Argeres, the executive director of regulatory operations at Liquor & Gaming NSW, has described the six-hour break in play as an essential safeguard.
The six-hour shutdown period is an important harm minimisation safeguard.
Compliance results and penalties
According to the regulator, the majority of the 51 venues reviewed in the initial phase of the campaign were found to be compliant with the updated rules. However, a range of interventions were required for those that fell short of the new standards.
Liquor & Gaming NSW provided education and compliance support to 32 venues to help them adhere to the requirements. For more serious breaches, the regulator took direct enforcement action. Fines were issued to the Crown Hotel in Camden and the East Cessnock Bowling Club for non-compliance. In addition, one unnamed venue received an official caution, while another was referred for formal disciplinary action.
Expanded audit programme
The next round of 70 audits is set to cover a wider pool of venues across the state. Inspectors will continue to focus on verifying that gaming rooms are fully closed and inaccessible to patrons during the mandated six-hour window. The ongoing reviews signal the regulator's firm commitment to enforcing the new harm minimisation framework consistently across the industry.
