Compliance, enforcement, and assurance priorities for the casino sector.
Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) administers the regulatory framework for the liquor, gaming, wagering, casino and registered clubs sectors in NSW.
This includes providing policy advice to government, licensing certain activities and delivering industry support, monitoring and ensuring compliance with legislative and other requirements, and undertaking education activities.
As part of its role in regulating these sectors, L&GNSW undertakes assurance, regulatory approval, and compliance and enforcement activities. The methods it uses to do this include probity checking, undertaking audits and inspections, investigating offences and taking enforcement action in response to breaches identified.
The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) is a statutory authority established in 2022 to address the risk and harms arising from casino operations through increased regulatory oversight. The NICC plays a vital role in maintaining public confidence in the NSW casino industry through visible and robust supervision, and is responsible for investigating casinos and casino operators, ensuring the suitability of casino operators and close associates, monitoring compliance with the casino legislation, determining licensing matters, and determining disciplinary action against licensees and close associates.
For more information on the NICC, including its Strategic Plan, visit www.nicc.nsw.gov.au
From a compliance, enforcement, and assurance perspective, L&GNSW supports the work of the NICC by undertaking activities to ensure that persons and entities associated with a casino are fit and proper, and that casinos comply with the requirements of the Casino Control Act 1992 and the Casino Control Regulation 2019, including the casinos’ own internal controls.
This regime is designed to ensure that casinos in NSW are operated in accordance with community expectations, to protect the community from harm, and to ensure that the casinos remain free from criminal infiltration or exploitation.
L&GNSW completes some of this work under delegation from the NICC, but also undertakes compliance and enforcement activities using its own powers. These activities are undertaken in close consultation with, and are reported to, the NICC. L&GNSW also works alongside NSW Police, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), other law enforcement bodies and other government agencies in Australia and overseas.
We undertake these activities in accordance with our Compliance & Enforcement Policy, and in line with our vision and mission.
Our vision Vibrant, safe, and responsible hospitality and racing sectors for NSW.
Our mission Enabling and supporting industry to minimise harm and develop responsibly in step with community expectations and aspirations.
This Delivery Plan sets out the harms and risks associated with the NSW casino operators that we have identified as priority focus areas, and the program of activities that we will undertake to address and prevent those harms and risks. A PDF version of this plan is available to download Casino Delivery Plan 2024-2026 PDF, 712.81 KB. There is a separate delivery plan for the liquor, gaming, wagering, racing and registered club sectors available.
We use a variety of compliance, enforcement and assurance tools and programs to address the risks we have identified, including:
If non-compliance is identified through any of these operations, we will consider the appropriate enforcement action to take (if any), in line with our Compliance & Enforcement Policy.
We also respond to emerging risks as they arise, including risks that become apparent during the activities we undertake. Where we identify an emerging risk, we will tailor an intervention (or program) to address that risk.
This Delivery Plan builds upon the outcomes achieved and emerging risks identified during the 2021-2023 period. The development of the plan has been informed by:
This Delivery Plan also takes into account the findings and recommendations of both the Bergin Inquiry and Bell Review, as reflected in a substantial focus on internal control effectiveness, corporate governance and culture, internal audit, whistleblowing and risk identification practices.
Our activities are also informed and guided by our broader strategic context, which includes the:
Targeted harms and risks to the community
Program deliverables