15-05-2025
Liquor breaches cost new Welcome Bay Pool Hall pokie machines licence
Dhaliwal told the Bay of Plenty Times he reopened the bar as an alcohol-free pool hall two weeks ago.
It had 12 full-sized pool tables and offered basic food such as chicken nuggets and hot chips.
When it was a tavern, the business had 18 pokie machines, owned by Akarana Community Trust.
An application was made to gambling sector regulator, the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), to amend the gambling licence to allow the pool hall to continue operating pokies.
Dhaliwal said he learned on Monday this was unsuccessful.
For pubs and clubs to hold a licence, they must show that the venue's main use is something other than gambling.
Dhaliwal said he did not intend to try to appeal the DIA's decision. He planned to open the pool hall once a week on a Thursday, and perhaps one other day, to help 'keep some income' coming in.
'We're just trying to save the business and the jobs of two staff working in the pool hall. There is considerable cost in closing down and winding up a business.'
He said if the pool hall profits failed to meet the venue's operating costs, they may close the doors, sell off chattels and wind up the business.
Vicki Scott, DIA's director of gambling regulatory services, said to hold a class 4 gambling licence, a venue must show that its main use is something suitable other than gambling.
Without a liquor licence, the tavern 'could no longer meet that requirement'.
Scott said the department was 'not satisfied' the proposed new venue met the requirements of the Gambling Act.
'Nor was it satisfied that the individuals involved in the gambling operation were suitable, given the breaches that led to the loss of the liquor licence.'
She said the pokie machines had not been played for more than 28 days, meaning the licence was 'automatically surrendered'. This could not be appealed.
'Akarana Community Trust applied to DIA just two working days before the original 28-day deadline and were given an extra month's inactivity to allow us to make a full and fair assessment of its application.'
A new licence application for the venue to operate gaming machines could be made 'at any time'.
Akarana Community Trust spokesman Janu Singh said the trust 'never intended' to operate the original 18 gaming machines at the pool hall, but had proposed to keep two machines running during pool competitions.
Singh said the DIA was concerned about the risk of minors having access to these machines and Akarana intended to address this by making the entire venue R18.
Singh said the DIA had issued a 'proposed decision' 16 minutes before the licence was deemed to be surrendered.
In his opinion: 'Akarana has had insufficient time to respond and address the department's concerns, and the right to host gaming machines at the venue is not lost.
'Having the ability to play a gaming machine in an alcohol-free environment should be seen as a positive, not a negative.'
Problem Gambling Foundation spokeswoman Andree Froude said she had earlier raised concerns with DIA if the licensee was allowed to retain its gaming licence give breaches of alcohol host responsibilities.
Froude said she was 'thrilled' by the DIA decision as it sent a clear message to all licensees.
