Chase the Ace trade promotions

The pub game Chase the Ace is what is known as a trade promotion lottery, and is generally held in hotels and taverns.

As the name suggests, trade promotion lotteries are a way of promoting the sale of goods or services, whereby participants enter the competition by purchasing those goods or services (at the normal price).

Trade promotion lotteries can be held without the need of an individual permit from the department because they are covered under the terms of what is known as a "blanket permit". The terms and conditions of blanket permits are available on the department's website.

One of the major conditions of the blanket permit is that the terms of the trade promotion lottery must be available to all participants at all times. However, this is a condition that is often overlooked – an oversight that could lead to an infringement notice or further action by the Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia.

To avoid this, the conditions of the lottery must be prepared prior to the commencement of the competition and be clearly displayed for all patrons to see during the course of the event.

The lottery must then be conducted in accordance with the conditions of the permit.

Chase the Ace and its influence on the drinking habits of participants

Chase the Ace is usually played in pubs where entry to the competition is by way of the purchase of alcohol over the bar; each drink purchased earns the person a ticket in the draw.

Unfortunately, this method of entry may influence a person to drink more and faster than they usually would.

For example: John is drinking at his local pub on Chase the Ace night. Every time he buys a middy of beer, he is given an entry into the competition. The more drinks he buys, the more entries he receives and the more chances he has of holding the winning ticket. This leads John to drink faster and to consume more alcohol than he normally would.

To limit the amount of alcohol-related harm caused by excessive drinking, the Director of Liquor Licensing and the Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia have agreed to certain conditions that can, if necessary, be imposed on a liquor licence in relation to trade promotion competitions.

These include:

• Entry being restricted to one per person where entry to the lottery is linked to the purchase of liquor;
• A maximum value of cash prizes or jackpots up to a value of $2000; and
• Juveniles being prohibited from entering the lottery.
  

Disclaimer

This information is designed to provide authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered, and with the understanding that the Director is not passing legal opinion or interpretation or other professional advice. The information is provided on the understanding that all persons undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its contents.