Review of the Registered Clubs Industry in NSW - Clubs NSW
Review of the Registered Clubs Industry in NSW - Clubs NSW
Review of the Registered Clubs Industry in NSW - Clubs NSW
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2 The registered clubs <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong> <strong>NSW</strong><br />
2.3.1 Applicable legislation<br />
From 1 July 2008, <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> pieces <strong>of</strong> legislation that specifically concern <strong>the</strong> operation<br />
<strong>of</strong> registered clubs <strong>in</strong> <strong>NSW</strong> <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong>:<br />
<strong>Registered</strong> <strong>Clubs</strong> Act 1976<br />
<strong>Registered</strong> <strong>Clubs</strong> Regulation 1996<br />
Liquor Act 2007 (to replace <strong>the</strong> Liquor Act 1982 from 1 July 2008)<br />
Gam<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>es Act 2001<br />
Cas<strong>in</strong>o, Liquor and Gam<strong>in</strong>g Control Authority Act 2007.<br />
The Liquor and <strong>Registered</strong> <strong>Clubs</strong> Acts (and <strong>the</strong>ir support<strong>in</strong>g Regulations) conta<strong>in</strong><br />
most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> statutory requirements applicable dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> lifespan <strong>of</strong> a registered club<br />
- from <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> establish<strong>in</strong>g a club, to <strong>the</strong> regulation <strong>of</strong> its day-to-day affairs<br />
and provisions on amalgamat<strong>in</strong>g or w<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g up a club. 19<br />
Under <strong>the</strong> current law, registration confers various benefits upon a club. First, it<br />
permits a registered club to sell liquor on its premises. However, with that benefit<br />
comes responsibility: clubs must have due regard to <strong>the</strong> need to m<strong>in</strong>imise harm<br />
associated with misuse and abuse <strong>of</strong> liquor (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g harm aris<strong>in</strong>g from violence<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r anti-social behaviour); encourage responsible attitudes and practices<br />
towards <strong>the</strong> promotion, sale, supply, service and consumption <strong>of</strong> liquor; and ensure<br />
that <strong>the</strong> sale, supply and consumption <strong>of</strong> liquor contributes to, and does not detract<br />
from, <strong>the</strong> amenity <strong>of</strong> community life.<br />
Second, a registered club is allowed to operate gam<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es with<strong>in</strong> its premises.<br />
However, as with <strong>the</strong> supply <strong>of</strong> alcohol, clubs are subject to strict regulation<br />
regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> operation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se mach<strong>in</strong>es. In <strong>NSW</strong>, <strong>the</strong> Gam<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>es Act<br />
regulates <strong>the</strong> keep<strong>in</strong>g and operation <strong>of</strong> ‘approved gam<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es’ by registered<br />
clubs (and hotels). Its ma<strong>in</strong> objectives are harm m<strong>in</strong>imisation and foster<strong>in</strong>g<br />
responsible conduct <strong>in</strong> relation to gambl<strong>in</strong>g. The Gam<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e Tax Act 2001<br />
regulates <strong>the</strong> tax payable on pr<strong>of</strong>its earned from ‘approved gam<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es’.<br />
<strong>Registered</strong> clubs also operate as <strong>in</strong>corporated companies, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> premises and<br />
trade <strong>in</strong> goods and services. Thus, <strong>in</strong> addition to <strong>the</strong> specific legislation above, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
must also comply with more general areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>NSW</strong> and Commonwealth legislation<br />
and regulation that concern trad<strong>in</strong>g companies, <strong>in</strong> particular <strong>the</strong> Commonwealth<br />
Corporations Act 2001.<br />
19 IPART notes that a small number <strong>of</strong> amendments to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Registered</strong> <strong>Clubs</strong> Act that were made by <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Registered</strong> <strong>Clubs</strong> Amendment Act 2006 have yet to commence.<br />
<strong>Review</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Registered</strong> <strong>Clubs</strong> <strong>Industry</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>NSW</strong> IPART 33
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