Total Wine & More‘s Westbury, N.Y., store violated New York law when it accepted gift cards sold in Florida, the New York State Liquor Authority said as it imposed a $22,500 fine on the retail giant.
The issue was simple: New York law says a retailer can operate only one package store in the state. The New York State Liquor Authority says when Total Wine’s Woodbridge, Long Island, store accepted Total Wine gift cards purchased in Florida, it violated that law because it was operating as a multi-state chain.
“The underlying issue,” says liquor attorney John Hinman of Hinman & Carmichael, “is that they are operating as a multi-state chain.”