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Club gaming and machine permits

Information about the renewal process for club gaming and club machine permits.

Guidance to licensing authorities on clubs.

Club gaming permit (CGP)

A club gaming permit is available to members’ clubs or miners’ welfare institutes, but not commercial clubs. It allows the club to offer:

  • equal chance gaming such as poker and bingo
  • games of chance (pontoon and chemin de fer only)
  • up to three gaming machines in total of categories B3A, B4, C or D, but by agreement, only one machine can be of category B3A.

Restrictions on the gaming are:

  • no limits on stakes and prizes, except bingo where there is a stakes and prizes limit of £2,000 in any seven day period
  • limit on participation fees per person per day - £20 for bridge and or whist (if played on a day on which no facilities of any kinds of gaming (other than bridge or whist) are provided by the relevant club on that day), £3 for other gaming (including poker) in any other circumstances

Club machine permit (CMP)

A club machine permit is available to members’ clubs, miners’ welfare institutes, and commercial clubs. It allows the club to offer:

  • equal chance gaming such as poker and bingo
  • up to three gaming machines in total of categories B3A, B4, C or D, but by agreement, only one machine can be of category B3A (B3A not permitted for commercial clubs).

Restrictions on the gaming are:

  • limit on stakes and prizes for bingo is £2,000 in any seven day period
  • limit on stakes for poker - £10 per person per game, within a premises limit of £250 in stakes per day and £1,000 per week
  • limit on prizes for poker - £250 per game
  • limit on participation fees per person per day - £18 for bridge/whist (if played on a day on which no facilities of any kind of gaming (other than bridge or whist) are provided by the relevant club on that day), £1 for other gaming (including poker), £3 where it’s a commercial club.

Issuing of CGP and CMP flowchart (PDF).

Information that should accompany the permit application form

Whilst the application form itself does not ask for evidence of how ‘club’ status is being achieved, you must be satisfied that the information provided by the applicant demonstrates that the premises meets the necessary requirements to be either a members’ club or miners welfare institute or a commercial club. See Members club or commercial club for more information.

The distinction between the two types of club is important as it reflects the type of gaming that is permitted. Genuine members’ clubs can apply for a club gaming permit or a club machine permit, while commercial clubs can only apply for a club machine permit.

Clubs must also demonstrate that they are complying with the statutory codes of practice, namely, the Code of practice for equal chance gaming in clubs and premises with an alcohol licence and the Code of practice for gaming machines in clubs and premises with an alcohol licence.

More information is available on our Members' clubs and commercial clubs page.

The Gambling Commission has produced a set of Quick Guides which licensing officers and pubs and clubs can use to make sure they comply with the Gambling Act 2005 when providing facilities for gambling. These are available at Quick guides and template letters.

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