This guide is written for club stewards, secretaries and committee members, not for lawyers.
Which permit does your club need?
| Club gaming permit | Club machine permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming machines | Up to 3 | Up to 3 |
| Categories allowed | B3A, B4, C, D | B3A, B4, C, D |
| Bingo, poker and other non machine gaming | Yes | No |
| Who can hold it | Members’ clubs, miners’ welfare institutes, commercial clubs | Members’ clubs, miners’ welfare institutes, commercial clubs |
If your club runs bingo nights or card games, you want the club gaming permit. If you only want the machines, the club machine permit is the simpler route.
One important exception: commercial clubs are not permitted to provide non machine gaming, so the club gaming permit does not extend the same rights to them.
How many machines, and which ones
Both permits allow up to three gaming machines in total, from categories B3A, B4, C or D.
The catch is in the detail: only one of the three may be a category B3A.
| Category | Max stake | Max prize | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| B3A | £2 | £500 | Members’ clubs and miners’ welfare institutes only. Max one per club. |
| B4 | £2 | £400 | Available to commercial clubs too |
| C | £1 | £100 | The standard pub machine |
| D | Low stake | Low prize | No age restriction |
B3A is the one that matters. It carries the highest jackpot available to any club, and it is legally restricted to members’ clubs and miners’ welfare institutes. A commercial club can site B4, C or D but not B3A. A pub cannot have one at all.
Members' club or commercial club?
This distinction decides what your club is entitled to, so it is worth being clear about which one you are.
A members’ club is run by and for its members, on a not for profit basis, with a constitution and a committee elected by the membership. CIU and working men’s clubs, Royal British Legion and armed forces clubs, bowling clubs, golf clubs and miners’ welfare institutes typically qualify.
A commercial club is operated as a business, for profit, even where it has a membership scheme.
If you are a members’ club, you are entitled to the B3A and the £500 jackpot. If you are not, you are not. If you are unsure which side your club sits on, your licensing authority will tell you, and it is worth establishing before you order a machine.
Non machine gaming limits
Where a club gaming permit is held, there are limits on the non machine gaming it covers:
- Bingo: stakes and prizes capped at £2,000 in any seven day period
- Poker: stakes limited to £10 per person per game, within the premises
These are the figures published by the Gambling Commission. If your club runs a substantial bingo operation it is worth checking where you sit against that £2,000 weekly ceiling.
We supply bingo tickets, books, flyers and dabbers to clubs across Scotland, and can advise on what a typical night gets through.
Applying
Permits are applied for through your local licensing board, which in Scotland means your council. Fife Council, Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council and so on.
The board will want to see that your club genuinely qualifies as a club, which usually means your constitution, your membership arrangements and evidence that you are run by and for your members.
Permits are not indefinite and will need renewing. Your board will confirm the period and the fee, as these vary.
Once your permit is sorted
Pub Giant supplies B3A club fruit machines at £49 per week, including updates, servicing, call outs and money collections. We will check what your permit allows before anything is sited.
Common questions
What is the difference between a club gaming permit and a club machine permit?
A club gaming permit covers gaming machines plus non machine gaming such as bingo and poker. A club machine permit covers the gaming machines only. Both allow up to three machines from categories B3A, B4, C or D.
How many gaming machines can a club have?
Up to three in total, from categories B3A, B4, C or D, of which only one may be a B3A.
Can a commercial club have a B3A machine?
No. B3A machines are permitted in members' clubs and miners' welfare institutes only. Commercial clubs may site B4, C or D.
Do we need a permit for a pull tab machine?
No. A pull tab dispenser issues lottery tickets rather than operating as a gaming machine, so it sits outside the three machine entitlement and does not need a gaming machine permit.
Who do we apply to in Scotland?
Your local licensing board, which is your council. The Gambling Act 2005 applies across Great Britain, but the licensing authority you deal with is Scottish.
Does a members' club pay Machine Games Duty?
Not on a B3A machine. B3A machines are treated as lottery machines rather than gaming machines for duty purposes.
Machine numbers, categories, permit scope and the bingo and poker limits are published by the Gambling Commission. Permit durations and fees vary by licensing board, so check with your council. This guide is general information, not legal advice.