MELBOURNE’S BLACK RHINO CHARGES INTO ADELAIDE
Leading Victorian pub group Black Rhino is seizing opportunity, snapping up a collection of gaming hotels in metro and regional South Australia, starting with the Newmarket in Port Adelaide. David Tomsic – owner and managing director of the Black Rhino
ANOTHER WIN IN WAGGA FOR O’HARA AND CO
A syndicate led by Sam Cruikshank and Sean O'Hara has furthered the faith in the land of many crows, snapping up the Sportsmens Club Hotel. Known locally as ‘Sporties’ the pub features public bar, bistro, gaming room with 14 machines,
STATE’S BIGGEST GAMING PUB ON OFFER
Listed pub landlord HPI has put up a long lease on the extra-large-format Acacia Ridge Hotel in the Brisbane suburbs. Built in the 1970s by Castlemaine brewery, the pub was originally used as a warehouse for distribution. It counts a
PUBS STRUGGLING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF INSURANCE
The industry landscape in 2021 is finding more pubs around the country dealing with ballooning insurance premiums, or worse, as insurers take a hard line on old venues. Post-COVID finds some pubs facing price hikes of more than 100 per
IRIS HITS NEW HORIZONS IN LASSETERS
Sam Arnaout’s Iris Capital empire has taken another big step with the $105 million purchase of the iconic Lasseters Hotel Casino in Alice Springs. Formerly known as the Diamond Springs Casino, the property opened in 1981. Known as an oasis
AUSHOTELS LIST PIONEERING BRISBANE BEER BOUTIQUE
Aushotel Group has listed its pioneering craft beer-based venue in Brisbane, the Archive Beer Boutique. The stand-out venue is located in the centre of Boundary Street in Brisbane’s tightly-held West End precinct – opposite the billion-dollar West Village residential masterplan
ROYAL OAK GROWS LOCAL GROUP
The troubled Royal Oak Hotel of Cessnock has been sold through receivers to a growing local hotelier. Built 1922, the pub enjoys a prominent corner in Cessnock – known as the gateway to tourism hotspot the Hunter Valley. The large
FAIR WORK PENALISES PUBLICAN OVER FAILURE TO BACK-PAY
The Fair Work Ombudsman has secured a $3,500 penalty for the former operator of the Farmers Arms Hotel for breaching the Fair Work Act by failing to comply with a Compliance Notice over employee pay. FWO inspectors commenced an investigation
UNIVERSAL SECURES FAMILY TIES IN TEMPE
The Kospetas family’s Universal Hotels has picked up the unsung Tempe Hotel for north of $10 million, with big hopes for the changing pub landscape. A hotel was first established on the site, on the Princes Highway, in 1856. In
GAMING DATA SPEAKS TO MARKET MIGRATION
New data on the latest gaming figures out of Queensland’s OLGR show an industry in upheaval, finding “real growth” in numbers and a dynamic tussle between pubs and clubs for the patron dollar. Official numbers for Q1 2021 gaming in

