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Liquor & Gaming NSW

Alter or dispose of your gaming machines

To keep gaming machines in your venue, dispose of, or alter a gaming machine, you need an authorisation. You can apply online or via a paper-based form.

Online

Apply for authorisation online: Maxgaming's Quickchange. Maxgaming is the licensed monitoring operator of electronic gaming in NSW.

Application fee: $67.80 per transaction. Fees are direct debited from the account nominated for payment for your gaming machine tax, one month after approval.

Paper-based forms

Apply for authorisation by completing a form for either:

The licensed gaming machine dealer, seller or technician must also complete and sign their section of the form.

Application fee: $80 per transaction. Fees are direct debited from the account nominated for payment for your gaming machine tax, one month after approval.

Submit your form via email: gaming.applications@liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au

Newly installed and authorised gaming machines need to be connected to the Centralised Monitoring System (CMS). When you’re ready to dispose of a gaming machine you’ll need to disconnect from the CMS.

Find out how to connect to the CMS.

Before disposing or converting a gaming machine, you’ll need to disperse the accumulated progressive prizes.

A dispersal amount is the value of money that remains on a progressive machine or system’s jackpot levels, less the start-up value, at the time of conversion or disposal.

Disposal of a machine

A disposal occurs when you are:

  • installing another progressive machine or system on the same day. The dispersal amount should be applied to the newly installed progressive machine or system.
  • not installing another progressive machine or system on the same day. The dispersal amount can be applied to another progressive machine or system already in the venue but you must notify DMS, noting the dispersal number, amount, date and progressive machine/system serial number to which the dispersal has been added.

Conversions

When a conversion takes place, the dispersal amount should be applied to the same progressive machine or system. If this is not possible, call DMS for advice.

Making a dispersal

A dispersal can be made by one of the following approved methods:

  1. Electronic dispersal through jackpot payments on another authorised progressive device operating in the venue.
  2. Manual dispersal by payment to the Secretary of the Department of Customer Service.
  3. In exceptional circumstances the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) may approve of an alternate method.

Manual dispersal amounts made as additional cash payments to players are no longer permitted.

Payment

You can make the payment with a cheque made out to Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW).

What needs to be included:

  • a list of the dispersal numbers and dispersal amounts covered by the cheque
  • an indication of payment for the ClubGRANTS Category 3 Fund or for the Community Development Fund.

Records of payments must be retained at the venue for three years in a way they can be immediately produced when requested by an inspector.

Post your cheque to: L&GNSW | GPO Box 7060 |Sydney, NSW 2001

Tax deductions

Payments to the Secretary can be claimed as a tax deduction. To claim a deduction, venues must submit a Progressive Dispersal Return to Data Monitoring Services (DMS) within 11 days following the completion of the tax assessment quarter.

The Progressive Dispersal Return form contains a declaration of payments made to the Secretary and must be signed by the:

  • licensee of a hotel
  • secretary of a club
  • approved manager of the licensed premises.

Dispersal amounts authorised for electronic dispersal cannot be claimed separately for tax deduction as these amounts will be automatically deducted as part of the total progressive prizes paid by the venue.

All progressive dispersals must be completed within six months after the conversion or disposal which triggered the dispersal, unless a later time was approved by ILGA in special circumstances.

Any progressive dispersal not paid within the timeframe will be referred to L&GNSW's Compliance & Enforcement Division and potential breach action may result.

Download: Progressive Dispersal Return template (PDF 436.9 KB)

Read: DMS processing of progressive dispersals (PDF 294.8 KB)