Both Liquor & Gaming NSW and Western Australia’s Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries have announced possible trading extensions for licensed venues during upcoming sporting events.
With the Rugby League Grand Final to be held this weekend, Liquor & Gaming NSW has announced that hotels and registered clubs state-wide that can normally only trade until 10pm on a Sunday night will be able to trade until midnight on the night of the Grand Final. These trading extensions however do not affect takeaway alcohol trading times.
Hotels and clubs within specific suburbs in the Bathurst LGA will also have a two-hour trading extension next Sunday when the Bathurst 1000 is held.
L&GNSW has confirmed trading extensions related to sporting events for the rest of the year, including for the FIFA World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The full list of events and their extensions can be viewed here.
In Western Australia, Racing and Gaming Minister Tony Buti has announced that pubs and bars can now apply to extend trading hours so that they can broadcast FIFA World Cup matches in November, which will be played late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
Venues can apply for a one-off extended trading permit to televise games in the tournament between November 20 and December 18. The permit will allow those venues to trade until thirty minutes after the conclusion of the game if it sits outside normal trading hours, providing a live broadcast is shown on the premises.
“More than 3.5 billion people tuned into the last FIFA World Cup in 2018 and this policy will give Western Australian venues and fans more opportunity to be part of this global event,” stated Buti.
“Many of the games start outside of normal pub or bar hours, which is rarely a deterrent for a dedicated football fan, so we hope everyone makes the most of the opportunity.
“I encourage Western Australians to head down and support their local during the games.”
With plenty of big sporting matches set to entice fans into pubs for the rest of the year, make sure to check out the Footy Finals Checklist and Suppliers Guide below to ensure your venue is prepared and capitalising on these high-trade events.