NSW pubs and clubs fined as pokies crackdown widens
Two NSW venues have been fined for breaching mandatory poker machine shutdown requirements as gambling regulators intensify inspections following the removal of longstanding exemptions that allowed hundreds of pubs and clubs to operate machines during restricted hours.
Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) has examined 51 venues across Sydney, the Hunter and the North Coast, with another 70 under assessment as part of an intelligence-led compliance operation.
The crackdown follows changes introduced in April 2026 requiring gaming machines to be switched off between 4am and 10am each day, removing exemptions that previously allowed more than 650 pubs and clubs to operate during part of that period.
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The Crown Hotel in Camden and East Cessnock Bowling Club have both received fines, although the regulator has not disclosed the amounts. Another venue received an official caution, while a fourth has been referred for formal disciplinary action.
L&GNSW Executive Director Regulatory Operations Dimitri Argeres said the six-hour shutdown was intended to prevent extended gambling sessions and give players a compulsory break.
“The six-hour shutdown period is an important safeguard that supports harm minimisation by providing a guaranteed break in gaming machine operation each day,” Argeres said.
“While it’s pleasing that the vast majority of reviewed venues have met their obligations, we have identified a small number of breaches resulting in penalties, regulatory action and ongoing investigations.
“Our approach is intelligence-led and proportionate. Where issues are minor or isolated, we work with venues to improve compliance. However, significant or repeated breaches will attract stronger regulatory action.”
The regulator is using real-time gaming data, venue inspections and examinations of operating records to identify potential breaches.
Of the venues examined so far, 32 received education or compliance assistance after inspectors identified minor or isolated problems, including circumstances beyond the operators’ control.
Before the April changes, 672 venues had permission to operate gaming machines under reduced shutdown arrangements, commonly requiring machines to be switched off for just three hours rather than six.
Some exemptions had remained in place for more than two decades. A small number of venues have since received approval from the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority to retain shorter shutdown periods.
The latest enforcement action follows several substantial penalties imposed on NSW venues for operating gaming machines outside permitted hours.
In 2025, the Concourse Hotel at Wynyard was fined $110,000 after allowing customers to use its 29 poker machines during prohibited hours.
The former Richards on the Park Hotel at Canley Vale was fined $44,000 the same year after gaming machines were operated outside authorised hours on 68 occasions.
In 2024, the Royal Inn Hotel in Newcastle received a $7,540 fine for 13 separate breaches.
Argeres warned that venue operators should not expect the current inspections to be a one-off exercise.
“Venue operators should ensure their systems, processes and staff are equipped to meet the requirements and prevent gaming machines operating during mandatory shutdown periods,” he said.
“We will continue to use data, technology and targeted inspections to identify non-compliance and ensure venues are meeting their obligations.”
The NSW Government is also considering whether the current six-hour shutdown provides sufficient protection against gambling harm.
As part of a broader package of gambling reforms announced in August, the NSW Minns government committed to reviewing the mandatory shutdown period, citing evidence that people experiencing greater gambling harm are more likely to use poker machines during the early morning.
Any changes would be subject to consultation with industry and community stakeholders, alongside consideration of gambling harm research and the operational impact on venues.
