Gambling Act 2005 Permits

Who needs a permit ?

There are five types of permits and one notification that are relevant to East Devon.

  • (Unlicensed)  Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) Gaming Machine Permit
  • Club Machine Permit
  • Club Gaming Permit
  • Alcohol Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit
  • Prize Gaming Permit
  • Notification of up to 2 gaming machines in Alcohol Licensed Premises

Unlicensed FECs can have unlimited category D machines, and would be centres catering for families, but without the higher gaming machines.

Club Machine Permits are Social Clubs or miner’s welfare institutions where they can have up to 3 machines of B4, C or D gaming machines.

Club Gaming Permits is as Club Machine Permits, but with the addition of the Prize Gaming, which used to be covered by a Part II registration under the Gaming Act 1968.

Alcohol Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit, will apply when a Premises Licence has been issued under the Licensing Act 2003, where there is a bar used ‘wholly or mainly for the sales or consumption of alcohol’.  These premises can have the number of category C or D gaming machine authorised on the permit granted by the Licensing Authority.

Prize Gaming Permit is again the replacement for the present section 16 permits under the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976.

Lastly are the Alcohol Licensed Premises, where there is simply a notification process for an entitlement for up to two Category C or D machines.

Machine Categories

There are four categories (classes) of machines, one subdivided

  • A – unlimited stake/prize
  • B1 –Maximum stake £2, maximum prize £4,000
  • B2 – Maximum single stake £100, maximum prize £500
  • B3 – Maximum stake £1, maximum prize £500
  • B4 – Maximum stake £1, maximum prize £250
  • C – Maximum stake 50p, maximum prize £25
  • D – Maximum stake 10p, maximum prize 5 (or 30p/non money prize £8)

Those wishing to have the Category A gaming machines will not apply to East Devon District Council as they will only be allowed in a Regional Casino.  The Category B1-B4 gaming machines will only be allowed in premises with Premises Licences, and what is allowed in terms of machine type and numbers varies for each type of Premises Licence.

Category C machines are the same as the existing section 34(5E) gaming machines, while Category D machines are the low-stake machines that are at present better known as section 34(1) machines, and can be played by all age groups.

Page last updated on 21 June 2007