B4 gaming machines
Machine category
|
Max stake
|
Max prize
|
Permitted location
|
Max number of machines
|
|
Members' club, Miners’ welfare club or commercial club
|
Bingo premises
Adult gaming centre
|
Betting shops
Tracks with pool betting
|
2005 Act large casino
|
2005 Act small casino
|
1968 Act casino
|
B4
|
£2
|
£400
|
2005 Act and 1968 Act casinos
Betting shops
Tracks with pool betting
Bingo premises
Adult gaming centre
Members' club, Miners’ welfare club or commercial club
|
Max 3
|
Max 20% of the total number of machines available for use on the premises
|
Max 4
Any combination of categories B to D
|
Max 150
Any combination of categories B to D
(subject to machine/table ratio 5-1)
|
Max 80
Any combination of categories B to D
(subject to machine/table ratio 2-1)
|
Max 20
any combination of categories B to D
or
any number of C or D machines instead
|
Members' clubs and miners' welfare institutes may site up to three machines from categories B3A, B4, C or D (only one can be B3A) with a club machine permit. Commercial clubs may site up to three machines from categories B4, C or D (not B3A machines).
AGC and bingo premises licences granted before 13 July 2011 are entitled to make available four (for AGC) or eight (for bingo) category B3/B4 gaming machines, or 20% of the total number of gaming machines, whichever is the greater.
Licences and permits required
B4 machines can only be made available in casino, betting shops, tracks with pool betting, bingo halls, adult gaming centres, members' clubs, miners’ welfare clubs or commercial clubs. So you must have either a 2005 Act casino operating licence, a 1968 Act casino operating licence, a general betting standard operating licence, a pool betting licence, non-remote bingo operating licence, an AGC licence or a gaming machine permit to make them available.
If you are a machine manufacturer or supplier you will need a gaming machine technical licence, which type will depend on the nature of your business.
Gaming machine technical standards
For the full details of the technical standards to which this category of machine must comply see Machine standards category B3 & B4
All gaming machines sited on casino premises must comply with our gaming machine technical standards.
Test houses
Category B4, C, and D gaming machines can be tested via an independent laboratory or via the manufacturers own processes under strict controls.
For categories A, B1, B2, B3, B3A, B4, C, D, server networked and downloadable, cashless payment, linked progressives and wireless networks refer to the Gaming machine testing strategy.
Return to player (RTP)
B4 machines must display the “theoretical target percentage return to player”.
RTP is an average measured over a large number of games and will vary over a typical session due to normal game volatility. It is a matter for the manufacturer to decide upon the game RTP and there is no minimum requirement but the minimum average return must be displayed to the player for the game.
There are duties to be paid on gaming machines so you should read this information in conjunction with the characteristics published by HMRC
VAT Betting and Gaming guidance