If you are a venue operator, venue manager, or venue personnel – your work at a Class 4 venue involves dealing with gambling equipment, gamblers or the proceeds of gambling – please take heed of the following warning:

• Be involved in decisions about, or in managing, the application or distribution of net proceeds (grants) of a Class 4 society if that society operates at your venue

• Provide, or be involved in decisions about who will provide, goods and services to the Class 4 society that operates at your venue, except services listed in you Class 4 venue agreement

• Provide, or be involved in decisions about who will provide, goods or services to grant recipients who receive grants from the society operating at your venue.

If you become involved in grants activity then you potentially commit an offence which is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000. The Department would also reconsider your suitability to be involved in Class 4 gambling. Venue operators, venue managers and venue personnel must be particularly careful if they are also involved with, or are a member of an organisation which receives grants from the Class 4 society which operates at their venue.

Trustees or other officers, chief executives or those who perform that function, and those who exercise significant influence in the management of a Class 4 society must also be careful that they do not breach the law in this area. It is an offence for these people to allow venue operators, venue managers and venue personnel to breach the law as above. The offence is punishable by a $10,000 fine and again the Department would reconsider an offender's suitability to be involved in Class 4 gambling.

(SOURCE: Gambits - Newsletter of Gambling Issues - September 2011)