Western Sydney pub hit with $46k penalty over early-morning pokies breach
Western Sydney pub Richard’s on the Park has landed in hot water after regulators found its pokies spinning long past the legal dawn shutdown – a breach that’s now cost the former operator $46,000.
An investigation by the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGR) revealed that the Canley Vale venue’s 28 gaming machines were active during prohibited hours over “68 Sundays”, turning over more than $760,000 in that time. The dawn shutdown rule requires machines to power down between 4am and 10am on Sundays, but data pulled from the central monitoring system showed the pokies running between 4am and 5am across a 16-month stretch from May 2022.
Former licensee Kelly Rice argued the breach stemmed from an “honest misunderstanding”, saying the hotel had previously been allowed to operate during those hours. According to ILGR’s report, his legal team said the issue was “an oversight” inherited from the former licensee, the late Phillip Webster, whose family owned Richard’s on the Park until late last year.
The Webster family sold the high-profile venue in October for a hefty $64 million, marking Sydney’s biggest pub sale of the year. The buyer, Lewis Hotels, already runs several Sydney pubs including Kings Tavern in Potts Point.
Importantly, the gaming breach occurred well before the sale and did not involve the new owners.
Rice’s lawyers also pointed out that the hotel had never received any “noncompliance notifications” from the monitoring system, nor had the local council or police raised concerns. Once notified of the breach, the machines were immediately switched off during the restricted hours. The report also recorded that Rice did not receive financial benefit from the gaming proceeds and that the $53,184.57 net turnover from the breach was donated to Lifeline.
Despite those mitigating factors, ILGR said the responsibility ultimately sat with Rice, noting that the venue’s liquor licence clearly spelled out the required shutdown hours. “We considered that the repeated operation of gaming machines at the Hotel on 68 Sundays during the shutdown period over a period of 16 months, with a turnover of over $760,000, are significant and serious features of this complaint,” the Authority said.
“Mr Rice has expressed full recognition and contrition, and sought to resolve the disciplinary matter promptly. He acknowledged the breaching conduct, however attributed it to an honest and reasonable misunderstanding as he believed the gaming room was authorised to operate until 5am on Sundays as was the practice of the previous licensee.
“Having considered all factors of the complaint and the submission received, the Authority determined that the complaint was so serious as to warrant the taking of action in the form of the maximum monetary penalty.”
The ruling comes just days after the Minns government announced plans to scrap existing exemptions that allow some venues to operate pokies during the 4am–10am shutdown window. The enforced break is meant to give players time to “get out of the zone” and reset, though a number of pubs have historically been granted leeway.
Jonathan Jackson, 16th December 2025
