Gaming and Liquor

The liquor act of 2007 governs and restricts the supply and selling of alcohol, as well as various issues including the use of premises where alcohol is provided or sold. It grants the secretary of industry and the ILGA (Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority) the authority to control the supply and selling of alcohol. The gaming machines act of 2001 is a component of the gaming and liquor regulatory laws outlined in the GLAA (gaming and liquor act) of 2007. Which includes regulatory regulations and those relating to the supply and sale of alcoholic beverages that are similar to the bill. These include investigation, powers of enforcement and other provisions that relate to the probity of law enforcement officials. This paper aims at analyzing the key element in both the liquor act of 2007 and the gaming machines act of 2001. It will also review various ways through which the component has been implemented and whether or not the implementation process has been successful.

Key Element

The key factor in both liquor and gaming machine act is regulation. The aspect means that the major role of these laws is to regulate the ways people conduct these activities. Research indicates those in occasions where there are no laws; people always opt doing what is contrary to the moral values of society. For instance, if there are no liquor laws, the society can be corrupted as many people will find themselves going to the extreme. The same case applies to gaming.

The Gaming Machine Act 2001 sec 4 provides that an approved gaming machine as declared under section 64 refers to any subsidiary equipment that is approved by the authority for use in gaming as well as any specially approved device described under section 141. In most cases, these gaming machines are linked to inter-hotels or inter- clubs. Research indicates that there is an established pattern that is used to regulate the gaming machines in Australia. The government has intervened in these types of games by utilizing some regulatory techniques. These methods include the venue, the setting of the machines, the supervision as well as the personnel in the gaming. There has been a common framework that has been introduced to regulate the tool as well as facilitate its operation.

Regulation of Gaming

The Australian government has established a pattern of controlling the gaming machine market in the nation. The government has intervened in these gaming systems using various regulatory techniques such as licensing, standards of the venue as well as imposing sanctions for not- compliance. The government also confers the exclusivity of all the products used in gaming machines. The ruling government also fixes the limit on the accessibility of these systems in their bid to achieve the public interests as well as objectives. In the proposal to regulate the tools used on these machines, there has been a legislative framework that has been introduced by the ruling body. The aspect ensures that the device is safe and doesn’t expose users to any form of danger.

In NSW the regulation of the gaming machines cropped up in the year 2001 where some laws were enacted. The rules only allowed the installation of the device on a non-profit basis. The clubs were allowed to poses machines although they were not supposed to charge any fees to the users. The initial regulations were straightforward. In fact, the organizations only required holding a license under the liquor licensing system. The clubs were then allowed to poses an unlimited number of these machines. Under these regulatory regimes, the manufacturers too were allowed to produce all types of devices provided that they fell within the established guidelines. The aspect was critical in ensuring that the machines made are safe and easy to use. Over the years, the rules, as well as the regulations, have been adjusting to minimize harm and ensure safety.

Control of Liquor

The Liquor Act 2007 under section 117 provides aspects of offenses to issues related to the sale of alcohol. The act provides that a person ought not to sell liquor to any minor person. According to this provision, a person may be penalized by either paying 100 units or 12 months of imprisonment. The act also provides that people should not by any chance supply liquor to any minor person or unlicensed premises. The law requires one to investigate using various aspects before providing alcohol. One ought to consider the age of the person ordering liquor, the quality of the drink as well as the licensing of the premises placing their orders. The major aspect that is stressed in the Liquor Act 2007 is that of minimizing as well as avoiding the sake of alcohol to any minor person. The law identifies a small person as any individual who is less than 18 years of age. The aspect means that the suppliers of liquor ought to consider the age of anyone ordering these brews to avoid being penalized.

This act involves the review of the prior regulation laws that were meant to regulate the sale and supply of alcohol and especially to minors in the community. The law has succeeded in enforcing responsible alcohol selling, consumption and the premises of operation. The act has also controlled the number of working hours in a day to be between 3 and six so that the alcohol business remains under regulation and monitoring. It ensures that the correct types of alcohol are sold at the right time, in the right premises and to the right persons who have the expected age or who are simply adults.

The gaming machine laws are meant to establish three forms of categories. There are those restrictions that aim at supporting the social standards of the community. These include restrictions such as the legal gambling minimum age and the requirement for harm minimization principle application. Other restrictive laws control the competition in a manufacturing of gaming machine, the retailing and related markets through the limit of potential operator entry. The laws cause significant costs on the business or another form of impediments. The other restriction laws are the ones that control the competition in a manufacturing of gaming machine, the retailing and related markets through the constraining of market conduct among existing operators. The laws cause significant costs on the business or another form of impediments.

To be able to abide by the competition principle agreement, it is required that the law enforcers demonstrate that these restrictions can provide a net benefit to the public and that they cannot be achieved by any intrusive means. The regulation has succeeded in minimizing gambling related harm and the associated costs to the community and individuals by fighting for responsible operation using the gaming machines and responsible drinking of alcohol. The measures that have been applied include linkages and counseling services, player information materials and arrangements through self-exclusion. Also, local amenity has been enhanced. The members of the public can gamble in many informed areas and utilize the services about safety net when necessary.

The under-aged people in the community are being discouraged against being found in the alcohol licensed premises even when they purpose to play with the gaming machines. Again, gambling related harm has been controlled from happening to the minors. The inbuilt flexibility scheme has been able to allow the children to pass through areas having gaming machines or selling alcohol accompanied by an adult or responsible person. They are however allowed to have access to the sporting facilities and the dining areas. The regulation has also been able to control the number of bars and hotels that operate gaming machines or supply and sell alcohol to allow transparent operations. Many of the people who used to function without the license and those who would just sell alcohol to minors have been restricted from further operations and some of the licenses withdrawn. By doing so, the licensed operators of these premises are forced to work under the conditions and limits of work within which they are authorized to work with those who have been unable to comply with their licenses taken away and forced to pay hefty fines. The strategy also makes others who have the wrong motive of entering the business to become wary of being punished and thus avoid any wrong doing.

The act has been able to control the number of players at specific areas limiting the business operations to the few who can comply with the regulations. This move reduces the owners of clubs and hotels that have the potential to operate a bar or a gambling premise. The effort has reduced the struggle from law enforcers who have their work simplified through having few areas to monitor and regulate. At the same time, it has enabled fewer resources to be channeled to the regulation and control process unlike when a given area has many players who are breaking the law. The integrity of these players has also been enhanced since those who cannot comply with the requirements are excluded from the business.

The same effort has improved public trust and confidence after the licensing and decisions concerning disciplinary action are done in the open and at arm’s length. The tenured and individual law enforcers who have been given the responsibility of controlling the alcohol and gambling in clubs and hotels have shown commitment towards their work leaving significant impact being felt in the long run.

Social harm has been well addressed primarily from problematic gamblers leading to the community sentiment to be acted upon and to be taken into account. The aspect leaves the operators in the market having the ability to adjust and only operate in an environment that has caps applying. The same has caused a self-regulation and co-regulation measures developing among these players creating a culture whereby few law enforcers are needed to ensure that the formality of law is observed.

The rules and regulations that have been enacted to control both gaming machines and liquor have successfully achieved their major role of regulating as well as controlling the usage of these items. For instance, the manufacturer of the gaming machines was initially allowed to produce tools that are in any shape or size so long as they were within the outlined standards. However, it was noted that most of these manufacturers were producing sub-standards machines. The enactment of the Gaming Machine Act in 2001 provides some guidelines on the standard machine that ought to be provided. Similarly, the government enacted laws that regulated the sale of liquor to any minor. In fact, the law identifies a small person and limits the sale of alcohol to such people. There are a lot of penalties that are imposed on anyone caught selling liquor to an under aged person. Such rules and regulating have been useful in the bid to control the additional sale of alcohol.

Conclusions

The liquor act of 2007 controls and regulates the supply and sale of alcohol and together with various aspects regarding the use of premises where the alcohol is provided or sold. It gives provisions to the secretary of industry department and ILGA (Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority) of power to regulate the supply and sale of alcohol. The gaming machines act of 2001, on the other hand, is part of the gaming and liquor legislative laws provided in the GLAA (gaming and liquor piece of legislation) of 2007. It contains administrative provisions and others which are related to alcohol supply and selling, that are close to the action. These rules and regulation have been effective in controlling the consumption of alcohol as well as these machines respectively. The enactment of these laws has been critical in ensuring that the society is well protected and not exposed to harm.

References

Delfabbro, P., Osborn, A., Nevile, M., Skelt, L., & McMillen, J. (2007). Identifying problem gamblers in gambling venues. Gambling Research Australia, Melbourne.

Delfabbro, P., Osborn, A., Nevile, M., Skelt, L., & McMillen, J. (2007). Identifying problem gamblers in gambling venues. Gambling Research Australia, Melbourne.

McMillen, J., & Donnelly, K. (2008). Gambling in Australian Indigenous communities: The state of play. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 43(3), 397-426.

McMillen, J., & Wright, J. S. (2008). Re-regulating the gambling industry: Regulatory reform in Victoria and New South Wales, 1999–2006. Australian Journal of Political Science, 43(2), 277-300.

Nichols Clark, T. (2007). Mahing Culture Into Magic: How Can it Bring Tourists and Residents?. International Review of Public Administration, 12(1), 13-25.

Quilter, J. (2012). Responses to the death of Thomas Kelly: Taking populism seriously. Current Issues Crim. Just., 24, 439.

Roth, L., & Angus, C. (2014). Liquor licensing restrictions to address alcohol-related violence in NSW: 2008 to 2014. NSW Parliamentary Research Service.

Thompson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., Strickland III, A. J., & Jain, A. K. (2008). Crafting & Executing Strategy 19/e: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases. McGraw-Hill Education.