Gaming machine operating authorities (hotels)

Hotel licensees with a gaming machine licence must have an 'operating authority' for each gaming machine.

The number of gaming machines in Queensland is capped. Eligible licensees can only get an operating authority through an authorised sale by the Queensland Public Trustee.

Sales are conducted by competitive tender in 3 regions. Operating authorities can only be bought and sold in the region where they originated.

Current minimum acceptable price

The current minimum acceptable price in each region is listed in this table. Any bids less than these amounts won't be successful.

Queensland region Minimum acceptable price
South East—includes the Brisbane and Moreton Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) statistical divisions $429,556
Coastal—includes the Far North, Fitzroy, Mackay, Northern and Wide Bay–Burnett ABS statistical divisions $186,452
Western—includes the Central West, Darling Downs, North West and South West ABS statistical divisions $81,332

On 1 July 2022, a trial began to make it easier to transfer operating authorities, including by:

  • publishing the minimum acceptable price
  • reducing the amount paid into the Queensland Government Consolidated Fund from 33% to 15%.

The trial ends on 30 June 2028.

How to bid

After a tender is called, eligible licensees who want to buy an operating authority need to email OLGRLicensing@justice.qld.gov.au to request a tender bid form.

You can only bid 1 amount for each available operating authority.

You're limited to 1 tender bid form for each of your premises with a licence to operate gaming machines. If you have more than 1 premises you want to tender for, you must submit a separate form for each premises.

Before lodging a tender bid form, read Guideline 6—Authorised sale of hotel operating authorities and the terms and conditions of tender.

Lodgement fee

The lodgement fee for a bid is $77.

If you're lodging bids for more than 1 premises, you'll need to pay this fee for each bid.

Where and when to lodge your tender bid form

You must place your completed tender bid forms and fees in the tender box at the office of the Queensland Public Trustee, 410 Ann Street, Brisbane, before 4pm on the closing date.

The Public Trustee won't accept bids by email, post or fax.

Documents lodged without the fee or after the closing time will be invalid.

We can't accept tender bid forms on behalf of the Public Trustee.

How to sell an operating authority

We notify all licensees who hold operating authorities approximately 1 month before a tender opens.

If you want to sell an operating authority at the next tender, you must either:

You must do this at least 2 weeks before the tender opens.

Once the tender opens, we'll email you confirmation of the sale and an agency agreement to appoint the Public Trustee to sell your operating authorities. You'll need to complete it and return it to us before the tender closes.

How tenders are allocated

When the tender closes, the Public Trustee allocates available operating authorities to valid tenderers in order of highest to lowest bid.

Paying for an operating authority

If your bid is successful, you'll need to pay the Public Trustee for your operating authority within 5 working days of receiving your notice from them.

The price will include:

  • the amount you bid on your tender form
  • an administration fee of $756 per operating authority
  • stamp duty.

How to know when tenders are called

The Public Trustee advertises the start of a tender in The Courier Mail. The advertisement specifies the:

  • number of operating authorities available for sale in each region
  • closing date
  • lodgement details.

We then advise all eligible buyers and sellers about the tender by email.

We also post a notice of the tender on this web page.

Operating authority tender results

The following table provides information about recent sales and the average price of gaming machine operating authorities. For earlier tender results, contact olgrinfo@justice.qld.gov.au.

SOUTH EAST

COASTAL

WESTERN

Tender

Closing date of sale

Offered

Sold

Avg. price

Offered

Sold

Avg. price

Offered

Sold

Avg. price

Contribution to CF*

Tender 57 19/03/2025 13 13 $661,000 24 3 $193,500 4 4 $130,250 $1,321,977
Tender 56 16/10/2024 4 4 $606,210 36 36 $203,010 0 0 0 $1,327,256
Tender 55 5/06/2024 72 72 $485,302 55 32 $203,662 9 9 $100,950 $5,777,385
Tender 54 20/03/2024 21 21 $465,929 47 31 $198,668 8 8 $133,125 $2,525,039
Tender 53 28/09/2023 12 12 $400,888 24 24 $187,367 0 0 0 $1,269,200
Tender 52 10/05/2023 103 103 $380,870 35 35 $177,267 8 8 $91,000 $6,294,815
Tender 51 11/01/2023 44 44 $384,057 49 49 $183,494 0 0 0 $3,350,422
Tender 50 14/09/2022 39 39 $374,471 65 65 $196,815 0 0 0 $3,736,006
Tender 49 13/04/2022 2 2 $281,500 44 44 $154,940 0 0 0 $2,214,105
Tender 48 21/07/2021 0 0 0 32 32 $122,516 0 0 0 $1,176,152
Tender 47 24/03/2021 12 12 $197,937 10 10 $122,250 0 0 0 $1,079,324
Tender 46 25/11/2020 25 25 $178,603 30 30 $105,002 0 0 0 $2,284,542
Tender 45 15/07/2020 0 0 0 14 14 $101,250 33 33 $17,061 $614,933
Tender 44 1/04/2020 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 8 $16,500 $39,600

*Queensland Government Consolidated Fund (CF).

Average prices include GST and the contribution to the CF, but exclude stamp duty and fees payable to the Public Trustee.

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