Club gaming and machine permits

Club gaming permit

A club gaming permit (CGP) 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 3 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

These 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

A club machine permit (CMP) 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

These include limits on:

• stakes and prizes for bingo, a maximum of £2,000 in any seven day period
• stakes for poker - £10 per person per game, within a premises limit of £250 in stakes per day and £1,000 per week
• prizes for poker - £250 per game
• participation fees per person per day - £18 for bridge or 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.

Duration of club gaming and machine permits

A club gaming permit or club machine permit lasts for ten years unless it ceases to have effect because it is surrendered or lapses.

In England and Wales

In England and Wales, a club gaming or machine permit that was granted under a fast track procedure (by those clubs with Club Premises Certificates under the Licensing Act 2003) does not expire.

It only ceases to have effect if it is:

• surrendered
• cancelled
• forfeited, or
• it lapses because the club premises certificate is not in place.

In Scotland

In Scotland, there is no fast-track procedure. Permits will need to be renewed after 10 years.

Renewal of club machine and gaming permits

An application for the renewal of a club machine or club gaming permit must be made during the period beginning three months before the permit expires and ending six weeks before it expires.

Example: if the club gaming permit or machine permit was issued on 1 October 2007, you'd need to apply for renewal between 1 July 2017 and 20 August 2017.

Although set out in different regulations, the process for renewal is the same in Scotland as in England and Wales, unless specified.

Renewal costs

The process for club gaming permit or machine permit renewal is exactly the same as for a new application. The renewal fee for clubs is also the same as for a new application and is £200.

A club in England or Wales that originally applied for a club gaming permit or machine permit under the normal application process (not fast-tracked) because it did not hold a club premises certificate at that time, but has since secured a club premises certificate, will then renew at the fast-track reduced fee of £100.