Promotions and practices for the responsible service of alcohol
Need a quick refresher on how to meet your responsible service of alcohol (RSA) obligations when running promotions?
This guide allows you to check and consolidate your knowledge. It covers:
- RSA practices to encourage responsible drinking and minimise harm
- the definition of 'unacceptable practices' when running promotions
- restrictions on advertising drink prices outside licensed venues
- penalties for unacceptable promotions, advertising or practices involving alcohol.
Then you can take our quiz to see how much you've remembered!
Note: This guide is designed to help liquor licensees and hospitality staff revise their knowledge about RSA. It does not replace RSA training or certification.
Running acceptable practices and promotions involving alcohol at licensed venues
You are required by law to encourage responsible drinking when serving, supplying and promoting alcohol at your licensed premises.
Practices to encourage responsible drinking
Apply practices that encourage responsible drinking at your venue, including:
- having non-alcoholic and low alcohol beverages available
- supplying alcohol in standardised quantities that can be recognised by patrons such as serving spirits in nips, using glasses or jugs with measured quantities, and supplying alcohol in labelled pre-packaged containers
- serving patrons half measures of spirits on request.
Minimising harm while running promotions
Plan and manage all promotional activities to ensure they don't jeopardise the safety of patrons or disturb the amenity of the nearby area.
Measures to minimise alcohol-related harm can include:
- providing free food and water to patrons
- offering alternative non-alcoholic beverages
- limiting the number of drinks that can be purchased on each visit to the bar
- monitoring for and managing against stockpiling of drinks
- limiting the duration of the promotion while also ensuring that this does not result in patrons drinking more rapidly within that period
- employing additional staff (e.g. RSA marshals) to monitor the consumption of alcohol during the course of the promotion
- limiting the number of discounted drinks that each patron is eligible for (e.g. providing a ticket to each patron for 2 discounted drinks)
- limiting the duration of the promotion
- placing limits on the number of drinks any one person can purchase during the promotion.
Learn more from sections 142ZZA and 142ZZB of the Liquor Act 1992.
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[Narrator]
This is Terry. He's an ex-footy player, a club promoter and once worked out in the same gym as The Rock.
He's kind of a big deal.
[Terry]
I'm kind of a big deal.
[Narrator]
When he's not hitting on girls half his age, and doing laps in his lambo, he loves throwing drinking games to get people absolutely legless.
The problem with Terry is, he's a loser and doesn't care about anyone's safety.
[Animation]
'40 shots in 40 minutes' sign falls down from roof. Terry raises his glass.
Jingle
Whether they're just too cool,
or just a bit of a fool.
They've had too much to drink,
or just causing a stink.
They've no ID and underage,
or skolling a thousand flaming grenades.
It's responsible service that we're aiming for, so it's up to you to follow the law.
Also consider...
- Download our 'Follow the law' posters and LCD images.
- Read more about penalties for irresponsible service of alcohol.
- Learn more about RSA training.
- Read about responsible service of gambling (RSG) training.
- Subscribe to the Inside Liquor and Gaming newsletter.
- Contact the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
Illegal and unacceptable promotions and practices at licensed venues
It is illegal to use practices and promotions for the service of alcohol if there is potential it can harm patrons.
Certain promotions and practices are only acceptable when they are conducted in line with a documented management plan that includes:
- measures to minimise harm (e.g. rapid or excessive consumption)
- and
- steps to make sure all staff are aware of these measures.
Definition of unacceptable practices
Under the Liquor Act section 142ZZ(2), unacceptable practices and promotions are those that:
- may encourage irresponsible drinking of alcohol (e.g. 'drinking the shelf', 'last man standing', 'all you can drink', 'drink like a fish' or 'beat the clock')
- may discourage a patron from monitoring or controlling the amount of alcohol they drink (e.g. serving alcohol in yard glasses, test tubes without a stand, or jugs without glasses)
- involve pouring or shooting alcoholic drinks straight into patrons' mouths (e.g. 'laybacks')
- are likely to have a special appeal to children (e.g. because of the use of designs, names, motifs or characters that are likely to be attractive to children)
- are indecent or offensive (e.g. wet t-shirt competitions and use of discriminatory, demeaning, provocative or vilifying language or imagery)
- use emotive descriptions that are likely to encourage irresponsible drinking (e.g. 'thirsty Thursday', 'beat the clock', 'drink till you drop' or other encouragement for patrons to get drunk)
- involve providing free drinks, or providing drinks at discounts, in a way that encourages patrons to drink alcohol more rapidly than they would otherwise do (e.g. as many free drinks as a patron can drink within a limited time frame, or drink cards or wrist bands for a high volume of alcohol within a short time period)
- are defined by the Liquor Regulation 2002 as an unacceptable practice or promotion (e.g. providing alcohol to a patron while holding their bank card on account, pending payment, if done in a way that discourages them from monitoring or controlling the amount of alcohol they purchase).
Read Guideline 60: Unacceptable liquor practices and promotions in licensed venues for examples of practices and promotions that are lawfully unacceptable.
Also consider...
- Download our 'Follow the law' posters and LCD images.
- Read more about penalties for irresponsible service of alcohol.
- Learn more about RSA training.
- Read about responsible service of gambling (RSG) training.
- Subscribe to the Inside Liquor and Gaming newsletter.
- Contact the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
Advertising alcohol prices and deals outside of licensed venues
As a licensee (including café and restaurant licensees) advertising any of the following outside of your licensed venue is prohibited:
- free alcohol
- multiple quantities of alcohol (e.g. 2-for-1 drinks)
- a promotion that indicates that alcohol is available at a cheaper price than normally charged (e.g. happy hours).
Acceptable advertising alcohol prices outside your premises
Restaurants and any other subsidiary on-premises licensed premises with a principal activity of providing meals prepared and served to be eaten on the licensed premises can legally display their wine list and prices outside their premises.
All other licensees can only advertise the sale price of alcohol inside their licensed venue. This means people outside your venue must not be able to see or hear the advertising.
Advertising drink and meal packages
There are limitations on advertising drink and meal packages. Read the guideline on advertising drink and meal packages to understand what is acceptable.
Learn more from our alcohol advertising and promotions guide.
Also consider...
- Download our 'Follow the law' posters and LCD images.
- Learn more about RSA training.
- Read about responsible service of gambling (RSG) training.
- Subscribe to the Inside Liquor and Gaming newsletter.
- Contact the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
Penalties for illegal or unacceptable liquor practices, promotions and advertising
You have an obligation to make sure alcohol is supplied and promoted in ways that reduce harm and keep peace and order around your licensed venue.
It is an offence to:
- encourage the rapid or excessive intake of alcohol (for a detailed list of examples, see unacceptable practices and promotions involving alcohol on licensed premises)
- advertise any promotion likely to indicate that alcoholic drinks cost less than is usually charged
- advertise outside your venue the
- price of alcoholic drinks at your venue
- availability of free alcoholic drinks or multiple drinks (e.g. 2-for-1 drinks).
Significant penalties apply to licensees or staff who do not promote or serve alcohol responsibly.
If someone is injured due to unsafe drinking practices in your venue, you risk additional fines, closure and civil action. Read Guideline 60: unacceptable liquor practices and promotions in licensed venues to learn which practices are unacceptable.
For licensees operating pubs or hotels in the Brisbane City Council area, there are extra regulations. View compliance for licensees in the Brisbane City Council area for more information.
The penalties listed below are current as at 1 July. The values change each year on this date.
Penalties for licensees or permit-holders
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
Engaging in (or allowing) an unacceptable practice or promotion | $16,690 per offence for the |
Failing to engage in responsible practices or promotions | |
Prohibited advertising |
Learn more from our penalties for irresponsible service of alcohol guide.
Also consider...
- Download our 'Follow the law' posters and LCD images.
- Read more about penalties for irresponsible service of alcohol.
- Learn more about RSA training.
- Read about responsible service of gambling (RSG) training.
- Subscribe to the Liquor and Gaming newsletter.
- Contact the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
Quiz: Promotions and practices for responsible service of alcohol
Take our quiz to test your knowledge of responsible service of alcohol (RSA).
It’s a great refresher if you already have RSA certification and work at a licensed venue.
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