On Christmas Eve licensed liquor trading must finish at 12 midnight regardless of whether your permit allows later trading at other times. Licensed gaming machine monitoring operators will disable all gaming machines for 24 hours from 12 midnight on Christmas Eve, 24 December 2008. Liquor bar staff must finish serving at 12 midnight and patrons must finish drinks and leave the premises by 12.30am.
This year marks the final occaion on which licensees with on-premises (cabaret) licences will be allowed to serve until 3am Christmas morning. Under the new legislation coming into force on 1 January 2009, standard trading hours for the new subsidiary on premises (entertainment) licence will be 10 am to 12 midnight and the concession for Christmas trading has been removed.
Bottle shops
Takeaway alcohol can only be purchased up to 12 midnight on Christmas Eve. Bottle shops must be closed on Christmas Day.
Adult entertainment venues
Adult entertainment is prohibited from 12 midnight on Christmas Eve and throughout Christmas Day.
Hotel guests
Alcohol can be provided to in-house guests in their room or in other approved areas of the hotel. On Christmas Day, licensees may only serve alcohol to patrons eating a meal in the dining area of the premises between 10am and 12 midnight. This means that liquor may be served to patrons for one hour before dining, during the course of a meal, and for one hour after completion of the meal.
On Boxing Day, usual trading hours and conditions resume.
New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve, all licensees are permitted to trade until 2am. This applies regardless of your regular approved trading hours.
This means that the bar must finish serving at 2am and patrons must finish drinks and leave the premises by 2.30am.
On New Year’s Eve, authorised licensees may operate gaming machines until 2.30am. Licensees who have approval to trade later than these hours may continue operating until the approved closing time. Any licensee wishing to trade beyond these hours, who does not have current approval, needs to lodge an application for extended trading hours with OLGR before 19 December 2008. OLGR’s head office will be closed from 5pm on 24 December 2008 and will re-open on 2 January 2009.
Liquor & Gaming Specialists Christmas Break
Liquor & Gaming Specialists’ office will be closed for the Christmas break from 24 December 2008, reopening on 5 January 2009.
