This guide covers what the entitlement means in practice, what the machines can pay out, and what changes if you run a members’ club instead. If you want more than two, you need a Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit from your local licensing board.
The automatic entitlement
Under the Gambling Act 2005, qualifying alcohol licensed premises are entitled to make two gaming machines available, of category C or D, once they have notified the licensing authority and paid the prescribed fee.
Three things worth knowing:
- It is a notification, not an application. You are not asking permission. You are telling them.
- It applies to on sales premises. A premises licence that only permits off sales does not carry the entitlement.
- The licensing authority is your local council. In Fife that is Fife Council, in Glasgow it is Glasgow City Council, and so on.
Source: Gambling Commission.
What the machines can pay out
Two categories are open to a pub:
| Category | Max stake | Max prize | Who can play |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | £1 | £100 | Over 18s only |
| D | Low stake | Low prize | No age restriction |
Category C is the pub ceiling. £1 maximum stake, £100 maximum prize. That is the machine most pubs run, and it is what people mean when they say fruit machine.
Category D machines are low stake and low prize, and they are the only category with no minimum age. That matters if you run a family pub, because children are not permitted to play category C machines and staff are expected to stop them.
Wanting more than two
More than two machines means a Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit, applied for through your local licensing board.
There is no automatic number attached to a permit. The board decides, taking account of the licensing objectives, your premises and your supervision arrangements. Some premises hold permits for several machines, others are refused. It depends on the venue and the board.
Practical advice: most pubs do not need one. Two well chosen machines in the right position usually earn more than four badly sited ones competing with each other.
What does not count towards your two
This catches a lot of licensees out.
Pull tab ticket machines do not count. A pull tab dispenser issues lottery tickets rather than operating as a gaming machine, so it sits outside the entitlement entirely.
Quiz machines do not count. A skill with prizes machine is not a gaming machine for these purposes and does not need a gaming machine permit.
Jukeboxes and pool tables obviously do not count. They are amusement, with no gaming element.
So a pub running two category C machines can still add a pull tab machine and a quiz machine without going near the licensing board.
If you run a members' club instead
The rules change completely, and in the club’s favour.
A members’ club with a club gaming permit or club machine permit can site up to three machines from categories B3A, B4, C or D, of which only one may be a B3A. The B3A carries a £500 jackpot, five times the pub ceiling, and it is restricted to members’ clubs and miners’ welfare institutes. A pub cannot have one under any circumstances.
There is also no Machine Games Duty on a B3A, because it is treated as a lottery machine rather than a gaming machine.
More detail in our guide to club permits in Scotland.
Once you know your entitlement
Pub Giant supplies category C fruit machines to pubs across Scotland at £49 per week, including updates, servicing, call outs and money collections.
Common questions
How many fruit machines can a pub have in Scotland?
Two, automatically, once you notify your licensing authority and pay the fee. Both must be category C or D. More requires a Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit from your local licensing board.
Do I need a licence for a fruit machine in my pub?
Not a separate licence for the first two. Your alcohol premises licence carries the entitlement, and you notify the licensing authority rather than applying for permission.
What is the maximum jackpot on a pub fruit machine?
£100, on a category C machine, with a £1 maximum stake.
Can children play gaming machines in a pub?
Not category C machines. Category D machines have no minimum age. Staff are expected to stop under 18s playing category C.
Does a pull tab machine count towards my two machines?
No. Pull tab dispensers issue lottery tickets rather than operating as gaming machines, so they sit outside the entitlement.
Is it different in Scotland from England and Wales?
The Gambling Act 2005 applies across Great Britain, so the machine categories and entitlements are the same. What differs is the alcohol licensing regime underneath it. Scotland operates under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, with licensing boards rather than the English and Welsh system.
Machine categories and entitlements are published by the Gambling Commission. This guide is general information, not legal advice.