Update on Cash Dispensing Facility Compliance Approach – Zero Tolerance
Since 1 January 2025, cash dispensing facilities at hotels and registered clubs have been subject to new distance and line of sight requirements under the Gaming Machines Regulation 2019.
Cash dispensing facilities inside hotels and registered clubs with gaming machines are also restricted from providing cash from credit card accounts under the Gaming Machines Act 2001.
What should venues do?
Venue operators are urged to review the location, line-of-sight and operation of their cash dispensing facilities to ensure they are compliant.
Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) expects venue operators to have taken appropriate steps to ensure that their cash dispensing facility is located outside a 5m radius of any gaming area entry/exit.
The 5m radius is measured as a straight line from the nearest point of the cash dispensing facility to the nearest point of the gaming area entry/exit.
Inspections and zero tolerance
L&GNSW continue to undertake compliance inspections to ensure compliance with all new and existing cash dispensing facility requirements.
Recent compliance inspections identified hotels and registered clubs with the following breaches:
- ATMs located within a 5m radius of a gaming area entry/exit
- Visibility between ATMs and gaming areas/gaming machines
- ATM signs visible from gaming areas/gaming machines
- Gaming machine advertising/signs visible from ATMs
- ATMs with the ability to withdraw cash from credit card accounts.
Inspectors conducted over 2,280 inspections across a range of regional LGAs in NSW including:
- Central West
- South Coast
- Riverina/Murray
- New England/North-West
- North Coast
- Far West.
A total of 79 penalty notices were issued, resulting in $43,450 in fines.
L&GNSW continue to implement a zero-tolerance enforcement approach in relation to breaches of cash dispensing facility requirements which may include:
- penalty notices
- formal directions
- prosecution
- disciplinary action.
Any future breaches of cash dispensing facility requirements may result in formal directions being issued to venue operators which can place further restrictions on the operation of cash dispensing facilities at offending venues.
More information is available on the cash dispensing facility location and signage requirements webpage.
If you have any queries about your obligations regarding location and signage requirements, contact the Hospitality Concierge at concierge@liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au