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Guidance

Guidance to licensing authorities

The Gambling Commission's guidance for licensing authorities.

Published
1 April 2021

Last updated
14 September 2023 - Changes

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Contents

4 - Gaming machines

21.5. Gaming machine provisions by premises are set out at Appendix A. S.172(1) of the Act, as amended, provides that the holder of an AGC premises licence may make available for use a number of category B gaming machines not exceeding 20 percent of the total number of gaming machines which are available for use on the premises and any number of category C or D machines. For example, a premises with a total of 25 gaming machines available for use can make five or fewer category B3 gaming machines available on those premises.

21.6. Premises subject to a licence granted before 13 July 2011 are entitled to make available four category B3/B4 gaming machines, or 20 percent of the total number of gaming machines, whichever is the greater. AGC premises licences granted on or after 13 July 2011 are entitled to 20 percent of the total number of gaming machines only. Regulations specify that the category B machines should be restricted to sub-category B3 and B4 machines, but not B3A machines (S1 2158 The Categories of Gaming Machine Regulations 2007 (opens in new tab)). Licensing authorities should ensure that gambling machines are made available for use in a manner consistent with our guidance within Part 16 of this guidance. For the purpose of calculating the category B machine entitlement in gambling premises, gaming machines should only be counted if they can be played simultaneously by different players without physical hindrance. This includes tablets.

21.7. Where the operator of an existing AGC premises licence applies to vary the licence and acquire additional AGC premises licences – so that the area that was the subject of a single licence will become divided between a number of separate licensed premises – each separate licensed premises must only contain the permitted machine entitlement. For example, where two separate AGC premises have been created adjacent to each other by splitting a pre-existing premises, it is not permissible to locate eight category B3 gaming machines in one of the resulting premises and none in the other, as the gaming machine entitlement for that premises would be exceeded. Part 7 of this guidance explains in greater detail what constitutes premises.

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