On this day in 1987, the Department of Territories introduced a legislative program fast-tracking an overhaul of Canberra's gaming and liquor laws.
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The legislation aimed to tackle underaged drinking in Canberra, one of its largest social problems and saw the establishment of a new Gaming Machine Ordinance.
The new ACT Gaming and Liquor Authority Ordinance provided law enforcement agencies with newer and wider-ranging powers, including apprehending offenders and harsher penalties for breaches.
![The front page of the paper on this day in 1987. The front page of the paper on this day in 1987.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/232169359/8f16af6a-f2b1-4e13-9875-d45ce709f6c3.png/r0_0_1130_1546_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The legislative program also included restricting entry to these clubs only to members and interstate visitors that would eventually lead to licensing poker and video machine dealers. The new ordinance accept some recommendations from the Edmunds report including returning video gaming machines.
Licensed clubs have been allowed to use multi-coin gaming machines, with draw-poker and amusement with prize machines being limited to a restricted number in residential hotels and taverns.
Despite the establishment of the Liquor Ordinance in 1975, police in Canberra had failed to prosecute a case underaged drinking successfully.
The changes to the legislation enabled courts to place a judicial notice on beverages in a sealed container with a volume percentage exceeding 1.15 per cent as liquor. It allowed inspectors to demand an individual deemed to have breached the ordinance to provide evidence of their identity.
The ordinance also broadened the ability of inspectors to seize liquor if there had reasonable grounds to suspect a breach. Anyone under the age of 18 was not allowed to enter or remain in the licensed premises of a bar room if they were not in the care of a responsible adult.