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C gaming machines

Machine category

Max stake

Max prize

Permitted location

Max number of machines

 

Pubs

 

Members' club, Miners’ welfare club or commercial club

Bingo premises

 

Adult gaming centre

 

FEC

Betting shops

 

Tracks with pool betting

2005 Act
large/small casino

1968 Act casino

C

£1

£100

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

Licensed FEC

Pubs

Max 2

 

(or specified amount with permit from LA)

Max 3

No limit

Max 4

 

Any combination of categories B to D

 Max 150 (large)

 

Max 80 (small)

 

Any combination of categories B to D

 

(subject to machine/table ratio 5-1 - large)

 

(subject to machine/table ratio 2-1 - small)

Max 20

any combination of categories B to D

 

or

 

any number of C or D machines instead

Pubs and other alcohol licensed premises are automatically entitled to two category C or D gaming machines upon notification to the local licensing authority of their intention to make gaming machines available for use.

Licensing authorities can issue gaming machine permits which allow additional category C and D gaming machines to be provided.

Where a gaming machine permit authorises the making available of a specified number of gaming machines in particular premises, this will effectively replace, and not be in addition to, any automatic entitlement to two machines.

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). 

Licences and permits required

Category C machines can only be made available in casino, betting shops, tracks with pool betting, bingo halls, adult gaming centres, members' clubs, miners’ welfare clubs, commercial clubs or pubs. 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, FEC licence, alcohol licensed premises 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 C

All gaming machines sited on licensed or permitted 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)

Category C 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

Further guidance on what is the definition of a dutiable machine game is also available