Licensee Disqualified for Serving an Intoxicated Patron

On 9 May 2024, the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) disqualified the previous licensee of the Gladstone Hotel, Ms Tracey Keegan, from: 

• holding a licence  
• being the manager of a licensed premises  
• being a close associate of a licensee  

for a period of two years. 

This followed a complaint to Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) alleging breaches of the Liquor Act 2007 (Act) by permitting intoxication on the hotel premises in March 2021. 

The L&GNSW investigation identified: 

• A male patron was served approximately 35 standard drinks (22 beers and one shot) over a six-and-a-half-hour period on 6 March 2021; 
• The patron was seen stumbling and falling over and was required to be carried out by other patrons;  
• The hotel did not have proper responsible service of alcohol practices, procedures, training or supervision in place. 

NSW Police also investigated the incident, however concluded the male patron suffered from a medical condition and did not show signs of intoxication until his collapse and to take no action in the matter.  

ILGA agreed that the circumstances and serious nature of the breach warranted disciplinary action and disqualified the licensee from holding a licence for two years. 

As a result: 

• The licensee is no longer permitted to hold the position of licensee or manager for two years. 
• As a shareholder of the entity that owns the licence, the current licensee must either transfer the licence to another person or remove themselves as a shareholder in that entity. 

This decision is a reminder to clubs about the importance of having effective RSA policies and procedures (including training) in place and ensuring that all club employees know and understand them. 

If you have any questions, please contact ClubASSIST on 1300 730 001 or [email protected].