The Liquor Licensing Act 1988 places an obligation on licensees to sell and supply liquor in a responsible manner. The use of “gimmick” promotions of cheap or discounted liquor that are likely to encourage the irresponsible consumption of alcohol are not acceptable. An activity by design or other use is not to create an incentive for patrons to consume liquor more rapidly and/or in greater amounts that they otherwise might.
| Acceptable Practices |
Unacceptable Practices |
| A maximum of two “traditional happy hours” (i.e. of 60 minutes of duration) during or immediately following normal day-time working hours, provided there is at least four hours separation between each happy hour |
The external advertising of a complimentary drink upon arrival, unless the drink is provided ancillary to another service such as accommodation or food |
| Promotions involving low alcohol beer where it is clear the promotional material that is a low alcohol beer promotion |
Drinks that offer alcohol in non standard measures or by virtue of their emotive titles such as – “laybacks”, “shooters”, “slammers”, “test tubes”, “blasters” – and their method of consumption encourages irresponsible drinking habits and are likely to result in rapid intoxication |
| The in-house offer of a consistent price of a particular type of brand of liquor across the entire trading hours of the premises on a given day or night, providing the price is not so low that it will, in itself, encourage the excessive consumption of alcohol and intoxication |
Drink cards that provide a multiple of free drinks, extreme discounts or discounts of limited duration on a given day or night and/or have the capacity to be readily stockpiled by patrons or transferred to other patrons. In other words, the drink card must not, by design or potential misuse, create an incentive for patrons to consume liquor more rapidly, and/or in greater amounts than they otherwise might |
| Promotions of particular brands of liquor that provide incentives to purchase the brand by virtue of a consistent discounted price, offer of a prize etc, that do not provide an incentive to consume the produce rapidly and to excess |
Promotional cards, vouchers or incentives providing free or discounted drinks which are distributed away from licensed premises |
The provision of a complimentary drink to invited guests, provided the invitation is via a mail list or other direct correspondence maintained as par of a bona fide club/reward system (ie. where a persons have acknowledged their willingness to receive such invitations and a list of names has not been developed from, for example a competition) |
Promotions of cheap alcohol, for a limited duration, in which cheap alcohol is the enticement for people to consume liquor on the premises and which may encourage the irresponsible consumption of liquor |
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Any labelling or titling of promotions that may encourage patrons to consume liquor irresponsibly and excessively to an intoxicated state |
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The refusal to serve half measures of spirits on request or provide reasonably priced non-alcoholic drinks |
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Any promotion that encourages a patron to consume liquor excessively – “all you can drink” offers, “free drinks for women”, “free drinks for women all night”, “two for one” – and to consume liquor in an unreasonable time period |
(Information taken from Responsible promotion of liquor – A policy of the Director of Liquor Licensing, Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor.)