About gaming and gaming machines
Members' Clubs and Miners' Welfare Institutes may apply for club gaming permits or club machine permits. Club gaming permits allow the:
- provision of gaming machines,
- equal chance gaming
- games of chance.
If a club does not wish to provide the full range of facilities permitted by a club gaming permit, they may apply for a club machine permit. A club machine permit allows up to three machines in total of categories B4, C or D.
Club gaming and club machine permits have effect for 10 years unless the club is a holder of a club premises certificate, then the permit lasts as long as the club premises certificate is in effect.
Alcohol licensed premises (pubs for example) have an automatic entitlement to make available up to two gaming machines of Category C or D.
To take advantage of this entitlement the person who holds the premises licence must give notice to the licensing authority of their intention to make gaming machines available and pay a fee of £50.00.
The licensing authority must accept the notification but can remove the particular automatic authorisations if:
(a) the provision of the machine is not consistent with the licensing objectives;
(b) gaming has taken place on the premises that breaches a condition of Section 282 of the Act;
(c) the premises are mainly used for gaming;
(d) an offence under the Gambling Act 2005 has been committed on the premises.
The licensing authority must give 21 days' notice of its intention to make such an order and must consider any representations. If the licensee requests it, the licensing authority must hold a hearing. The notice of determination will come into effect 21 days after the determination is made. Appeal is to a Magistrates Court.
If the licence holder wishes to provide more than two gaming machines on their alcohol licensed premises, they can apply for a gaming machine permit. The licensee can apply for any number of machines, however the licensing authority may vary the number and category of machines permitted.
Application forms
Club Gaming or Club Machine Permit application form
Automatic Notification and Alcohol Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit application form
Please refer to our privacy notice under the General Data Protection Regulation.
Factsheets
- Gaming and Machines in Clubs Factsheet
- Gaming and Machines in Pubs and Alcohol Licensed Premises Factsheet
