OPINION: Casinos win, pubs lose in lockout laws
IMAGINE it's 12.30am on a Saturday morning and you're enjoying a few drinks with mates at your neighbourhood pub.
You glance down at your watch and realise if you want to hit the dance floor, you need to get across town and in the door within half an hour or your night out will be over.
With everything in perspective, you decide it's probably best to just stay at the pub and not risk ruining a good night out by being turned away, so you stay put.
Now imagine that scenario again, but this time you take the risk and head across town only to be turned away because you arrived at 1.05am.
But that's okay, you prepared for this and earlier in the night picked up a carton of beer and a bottle of spirits from the bottle shop to enjoy at home.
No matter what happens, the night is young and you'll be able to continue enjoying the company of friends and alcohol somewhere.
This scenario could very well become a reality if the Queensland Government's proposed new lock-out laws aimed at tackling alcohol-fuelled violence go ahead.
The proposed new laws would see clubs and pubs stop the service of high alcohol content drinks such as shots at 12am, lock patrons out at 1am and stop serving alcohol altogether at 3am.
Much like what has been seen in Sydney, the big winners of the proposed new laws will most likely be the state's casinos.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney's Star Casino employees, police, party-goers and taxi drivers say the Star has been a major beneficiary of the NSW government's liquor reforms which came into effect in February last year.
Casinos, airports and convention centres trade under a different licence to pubs and clubs - the commercial special facility licence for venues that make, or are likely to make, a significant contribution to the tourism development of the state. These venues are exempt from the proposed lock-out laws.
While that's all well and good for major centres across the state such as Townsville, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns that actually have casinos, what about the rest of the state?
The winners of the proposed laws to tackle alcohol fuelled violence may well be the "neighbourhood" pubs speckled throughout regional suburbia.
Pubs such as Rockhampton's Glenmore Tavern, which was recently granted approval to extend trading hours until 3am, seven days a week, despite community uproar and lobbying by local MPs.
Other local pubs that may benefit could be the Allenstown Hotel, the Berserker Tavern and the Leichhardt Hotel.
Coincidentally, the Glenmore Tavern and Allenstown Hotel are owned by the Australian Hospitality Limited Group and the Berserker Tavern and Leichhardt Hotel are owned by Spirit Hotels.
Or in plain terms, Woolworths and Coles respectively.
They hold the monopoly when it comes to grocery shopping, but who knew they were such a controlling force in the liquor industry?
Woolworths operates a portfolio of 238 licensed venues across Australia while Coles operates a further 90.
Woolworths also own major liquor retail brands BWS and Dan Murphy's and are Australia's leading pub operator of electronic gambling machines, wagering, sports betting outlets and KENO while Coles owns First Choice Liquor, Liquorland and Vintage Cellars.
In 2014, 58% of all liquor sold in Australian liquor stores was sold through Woolworths and Coles.
The money is well and truly in the drop.
Source: The Morning Bulletin, Melanie Plane, 11th January 2016
