Bingo in pubs and clubs
Bingo can be offered on alcohol licensed premises, members' clubs, miners’ welfare institutes and commercial clubs without an operating licence. However, the games must:
- be for adults only
- not be linked with games played on other premises.
There are limits on the amount which can be charged for participation:
| With a club gaming permit | With a club machine permit | WITHOUT either a club gaming permit or club machine permit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members' clubs | £3 maximum, per person, per day | £1 maximum, per person, per day | £1 maximum, per person, per day |
| Miners welfare institutes | £3 maximum, per person, per day | £1 maximum, per person, per day | £1 maximum, per person, per day |
| Commercial clubs | Not available | £3 maximum, per person, per day | £1 maximum, per person, per day |
Pubs must ensure that:
- no participation fee is charged
- they remain within the stake limit of charging a maximum of £5 per person, per game.
Both alcohol licensed premises and clubs must ensure they do not exceed the maximum of £2,000 per week in stakes/prizes. Those wishing to exceed this limit need to apply for a bingo operating licence.
Bingo as prize gaming
When we say ‘prize gaming’ we mean neither the nature nor the size of the prize is determined by:
- the number of people playing
- the amount paid for or raised by the game.
You can run bingo as a prize game without the need for a bingo operating licence in adult gaming centres, family entertainment centres, unlicensed family entertainment centres and travelling fairs.
To comply with the rules for prize gaming, the bingo games offered in these venues must:
- have a maximum stake of £1 and a prize worth no more than £70 per game
- offer no more than £500 of prizes per game
- have no more than £500 in stakes per game.
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Club gaming and machine permits
Last updated: 13 August 2021
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