CLUB IQ May2017 | Page 37

2. Subject to approval: Any agreement to buy and sell entitlements must be specifically subject to approval by Liquor & Gaming NSW. Unlike other transactions involving the sale of assets, the transfer of entitlements must be approved. It is also a good idea to specify a date by which approval needs to be granted. Thus, the contract of sale needs to state that if approval is not granted by a certain date, then the parties are under no obligation to go ahead with the transaction. 3. Member approval: If the selling club has less than 10 gaming machine entitlements (or if the transfer will reduce their entitlements below 10), then Liquor & Gaming NSW requires them to obtain approval from the members. This helps ensure the members are comfortable with selling a key asset of the club’s business when they have few entitlements remaining. The contract of sale must be conditional upon getting this approval. 4. Local Impact Assessment (LIA): If the purchasing club is transferring entitlements between different Local Government Areas, then it should examine whether an LIA is required, and the likelihood of success. 5. Large clubs: If the purchasing club will hold more than 450 entitlements after the transfer but an LIA is not required for the application, Liquor & Gaming NSW requires the club to make submissions on the impact from the increased number of gaming machines on the amenity of the local area. The club must ensure these submissions are properly drafted. In particular, it must carefully consider the kind of benefits granted to the local community – for example, it can provide specific details about a community or charitable project. 6. Stamp duty: Stamp duty on gaming machine entitlements was abolished from 1 July 2016. However, if a club has made an agreement before that date, duty may still be applicable. If you would like to discuss any of the matters dealt with this in the article, please contact either Brett Boon on 02 8248 5832 or at bboon@ tglaw.com.au or Arj Puveendran on 02 8248 3494 or at apuveendran@ tglaw.com.au. THE CLUBS, GAMING & LEISURE LEGAL SPECIALISTS Acting for all types of clubs across Australia, Thomson Geer is proud to be part of the gaming and leisure industry and is dedicated to delivering a pre-eminent service across the whole spectrum of the industry. We work with both domestic and international clients on a range of matters from providing ongoing advice to advising on the largest and most complex projects and transactions in the industry. • • • • • • • • • Registered clubs law Liquor and gaming law Amalgamations and de-amalgamations Online, mobile and social gaming and wagering Corporate governance Property development Property transactions Commercial arrangements Dispute resolution FOR A CONFIDENTIAL DISCUSSION PLEASE CONTACT: Brett Boon P +61 2 8248 5832 M +61 4 1480 8265 E [email protected] ADVICE | TRANSACTIONS | DISPUTES Domestic & Cross Border www.tglaw.com.au Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Adelaide