Club gaming and club machine permits

Club gaming permits replace the permissions provided by Part 2 registration under the 1968 Gaming Act and authorise the use of three or less gaming machines from categories B3A, B4, C or D, equal chance gaming and games of chance as prescribed in regulations.

Club gaming permit application are most likely to be made by members’ clubs and miners’ welfare institutes.

Commercial clubs, such as snooker club chains, cannot provide non-machine gaming, other than games which are classed as exempt gaming (see below for details).

Club machine permits replace the permissions provided by Part 3 registration under the 1968 Gaming Act.

If a club does not wish to have the full range of facilities permitted by a club gaming permit, and just wants gaming machines only, they may apply for a club machine permit.

A club machine permit authorises the holder to have up to three gaming machines of categories B3A (however, this category is not available for commercial clubs) B4, C and D.

Commercial clubs, as well as members’ club and miners’ welfare institutes, may apply for a club machine permit.

Certain games may take place in clubs without needing a club gaming permit, and will be classed as ‘exempt gaming’, so long as certain conditions are observed as below.

Poker

• the maximum amount staked by a person on any game of poker does not exceed £10
• the aggregate of the amounts staked on games of poker in any one day does not exceed £250
• the aggregate of the amounts that may be staked on games of poker in any period of seven days does not exceed £1,000
• the maximum amount or value of a prize that may be won in any game of poker is £250

Bridge, whist or other kinds of gaming

The maximum participation fee that a club may charge a person to allow them to participate in a particular kind of game on any one day is –

• £18 in respect of bridge or whist (provided that no facilities for any kinds of gaming other than bridge or whist are provided by the relevant club on that day)
• £1 in respect of offering facilities for bridge and whist as well as other kinds of gaming on same day
• or in the case of a commercial club that holds a club machine permit, £3