Liquor & Gaming

Students who successfully complete their RSA or RCG course in NSW need to apply for a photo competency card by producing a certificate and appropriate identification and having their photograph taken at a participating service outlet.

The photo competency card replaced paper based RSA and RCG certificates on 22 August 2011.

Club licences apply to registered clubs. The following classes are issued:

1) Authorisation
- Club functions authorisation: Authorisation to sell liquor at a function held on other premises
- Extended trading authorisation: Authorisation to extend trading hours for consumption on premises or away from the premises
- Junior members authorisation: Authorisation to enable juniors to use any part of the club premises whenever the authorisation operates
- Non-restricted area authorisation: Authorisation for a non restricted area as this area is not included in the definition of “bar area” under the Liquor Act 2007

2) Liquor other
Reduced trading hours

Hotel licences apply to premises where the primary purpose is the sale and supply of alcohol. This includes a variety of hotel venues (including accommodation hotels), as well as small and large bars. The following classes are issued:

1) Authorisation
- Extended trading authorisation: Authorisation to extend trading hours for consumption on premises or away from the premises
- Minors area authorisation: Authorisation to enable the use by a minor of a specified part of the hotel (can be the whole hotel) while in the company of a responsible adult
- Minors functions authorisation: Authorisation to enable minors to attend a function/s in a specified part, or the whole, of the licensed premises
- Residents bar authorisation: Authorisation to use a bar area of the hotel for the sale, supply or consumption of liquor exclusively to, or by, residents at a time when liquor may not otherwise be sold or supplied in a bar area of the hotel

2) Liquor other
Reduced trading hours

3) Sub type
- Full hotel: A full hotel class licence authorises the licensee to sell liquor by retail on the licensed premises for consumption on or away from the licensed premises and are permitted to have gaming and sell take away liquor
- General bar: A General Bar hotel class licence authorises the licensee to sell liquor by retail on the licensed premises for consumption on the licensed premises and are not permitted to have gaming or take away liquor.

Packaged liquor licences will apply to liquor stores selling take away liquor only. Currently issued in the following classes:

1) Extended trading authorisation: Authorisation to extend trading hours for consumption on premises or away from the premises

2) Reduced trading hours

Producer/wholesaler licences apply to wine producers, brewers, distillers, and wholesalers. The licence allows wholesalers to sell to other liquor licensees.

1) Authorisation
- Drink on-premises permanent authorisation: Authorisation to sell liquor by retail on the licensed premises, for consumption on the licensed premises only at specified times
- Extended trading authorisation: Authorisation to extend trading hours for consumption on premises or away from the premises

2) Reduced trading hours
- Authorisation to sell liquor by wholesale at any time on the licensed premises, to the employees of the licensee and to customers for the purposes of tastings and retail sales in bottles at the licensed premises.

On-premises licences apply to a variety of purposes including accommodation venues, restaurants, catering services, vessels, tourism businesses, tertiary institutions, and public entertainment venues. Currently issued in the following classes:

1) Authorisation
- Extended trading authorisation: Authorisation to extend trading hours for consumption on premises or away from the premises
- Minors functions authorisation: Authorisation to enable minors to attend a function/s in a specified part, or the whole, of the licensed premises
- Primary service authorisation: Authorisation to allow liquor to be sold or supplied for consumption on the licensed premises otherwise than with, or ancillary to, another product or service – which is otherwise not permitted.
- Sale on other premises authorisation: Authorisation to sell liquor by retail on such premises and in such circumstances as the Authority may, on application by the licensee, authorise, but only for consumption on those premises and at such times as are specified by the Authority in the licence
- Take away sales authorisation: Authorisation to sell liquor by retail on the licensed premises for consumption away from licensed premises in special circumstances
- Vessel trading authorisation: Authorisation to sell liquor by retail to passengers on board the vessel, for consumption on board the vessel at other than the standard times or circumstances defined in s.25(9)(a)] completed

2) On premises licence are granted to the following business types:
- Accommodation: Authorises the licensee to sell liquor by retail on the licensed premises for consumption on the licensed premises only or to a resident at any time for consumption away if conditions are met
- Airport: Primary purpose may be the sale or supply of liquor if the premises are part of an airport
- Catering service: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a catering service
Cinema public entertainment venue: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a public entertainment venue.
- Club activity and support: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of club activity and support
- Cooking school: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a cooking school
- Local product promotion: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a local product promotion
- Other public entertainment venue: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a public entertainment venue.
- Public hall: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a public hall
- Racing facility: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a racing facility
- Restaurant: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a restaurant
- Social activity and support: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of social activity and support
- Sport facility: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a sport facility
- Tertiary institution: Primary purpose may be the sale or supply of liquor if the premises are on land occupied by a tertiary institution and cater for students of that institution
- Theatre public entertainment venue: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a public entertainment venue.
- Tour operator: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a Tour Operator.
- Tourist facility: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of a tourist facility
- Vessel: Authorises the licensee to sell liquor by retail to passengers on board the vessel, for consumption on board the vessel only
- Other: An on-premises licence may be granted in respect of any other type not previously defined

3) Liquor other
- Reduced trading hours

Limited licences will allow liquor sales for consumption on the licensed premises at a function or multiple functions a special event and a trade fair. The following classes of licence are issued:

1) Multi-function: Authorises selling or supplying of liquor on the licensed premises for multi-function event
2) Single-function: Authorises selling or supplying of liquor on the licensed premises for a single-function event
3) Special event: Authorises the licensee to sell or supply liquor only for consumption on the premises specified in the licence on a day or days specified in the licence
4) Trade fair: Authorises the non-proprietary association to sell or supply liquor on the licensed premises for consumption on the licensed premises only and as part of, or in connection with, a function

Currently issued in the following classes:

1) Auctioneer notification
2) B&B notification: Notification that the licensee itends to operate Bed and Breakfast
Wine show notification: Notification that the licensee itends to operate wine shows, producer’s markets, fairs business activity

While most liquor licences are held by individuals, the liquor laws also enable a licence to be held by a corporation. Maximum court penalties of $5,500 apply where premises are operated unlawfully without an approved manager. There are two requirements for the appointment of managers to venues that hold corporate licences:-

1) Potential manager must apply for approval
A person must obtain approval from the Casino Liquor and Gaming Control Authority to be a manager of a club or hotel which holds a corporate licence - at which time their probity is assessed. As part of this application, the proposed manager must provide a National Police Certificate and the applicant’s fitness will be assessed.

2) Notification of managerial appointment
Once approval has been obtained, only then can a person seek appointment as a manager for a particular venue with a corporate licence.

Applicants must hold a RSA / RCG Qualification for Hotel and club licences, and RSA for all other liquor licences.