The licensee of a hotel in New South Wales, Australia, has been fined after being found to force visitors to leave the property via a gaming room.
Inspectors from the state’s Liquor & Gaming NSW watchdog found in August 2023 that the exit door in the bar area of Sydney's Mortdale Hotel was locked, with the alternative exit route constituting a breach of the Gaming Machines Act 2001.
Patrons must not be required to pass through a gaming room to enter or leave a venue, or to access another area of a property.
Mortdale Hotel licensee Paul Whitehead pleaded guilty to the breach at the Downing Centre Local Court on June 18 and was fined AU$2,250.
Jane Lin, Liquor & Gaming NSW’s executive director, regulatory operations, said: “Apart from breaking the law, the licensee put patrons at potential risk of harm by compelling them to walk through the gaming room to leave the venue.
“As this case shows, licensees who fail to abide by gaming machine regulations can expect to be caught and prosecuted.”
