Apply for a gambling permit
If you wish to carry out low stakes gaming machines or gambling, then you will need to apply for one of the following permits.
Licensed premises gaming permit
If you want to provide three or more category C and category D gaming machines in your licensed premises, you need to apply for a licensed premises gaming machine permit.
You can place up to two category C and D machines without a permit in pubs, bars and other businesses that mainly sell alcohol, but you have to notify us if you want to do this.
Please note: If we grant you a permit for three or more machines, this will effectively replace your automatic entitlement to two machines
To apply, please use the application form below:
This permit is granted indefinitely, However, it will lapse if the you cease to hold the alcohol licence, or if the alcohol licence itself lapses.
The annual fee is payable for all licensed premises gaming machine permits. The first fee becomes due 30 days after the permit was granted, and then on the anniversary of the grant.
We may revoke a permit if the annual fee is not paid.
Licence fees
- Notification of one or two gaming machines - £50
- Application for three or more gaming machines - £150
- Annual fee - £50
- Change of detail - £25
- Replacement copy - £15
Club gaming or club machine permit
If you run members club, commercial club or miners welfare institute and you want to provide gaming machines, games of chance or equal chance games to club members are eligible to apply for a club gaming or club machine permit.
- Club machine permit – allows any members' club, including commercial clubs, to make up to three gaming machines available for use
- Club gaming permit – allows three gaming machines to be operated, and enables the club to offer prize gaming without limits on the stakes and prizes, (but subject to other restrictions)
Please note: Club gaming permits are available to members clubs or miners welfare institutes, but NOT commercial clubs. Club machine permits are available to members clubs, miners welfare institutes and commercial clubs.
To be eligible for a club gaming or club machine permit, members' clubs must:
- have at least 25 members
- be controlled by club members
- not be established to make a profit
Commercial clubs must also have at least 25 members and be controlled by club members. However, commercial clubs can be established to make a profit.
To apply, please use the application form below:
If you are the holder of a club premises certificate issued under the Licensing Act 2003, you can apply for a fast-track application.
This permit is granted for 10 years. If you have applied under a fast track procedure they are granted indefinitely. However, it will lapse if you cease to hold the certificate, or if the certificate itself lapses.
The annual fee is payable for all licensed premises gaming machine permits. The first fee becomes due 30 days after the permit was granted, and then on the anniversary of the grant.
We may revoke a permit if the annual fee is not paid.
Licence fees
- Application fee - £200
- Fast Track procedure application fee - £100
- Annual Fee - £50
- Variation application - £100
- Change of detail - £25
- Replacement copy - £15
Prize gaming permit
If you wish to be authorised for the provision of facilities for gaming with prizes on a specified premises.
Prize gaming is a form of low stakes and prizes gambling. It can comprise of a variety of games including bingo and roulette, providing that the fees and prizes do not exceed the levels prescribed in the regulations of the Gambling Act 2005.
The following premises are authorised by the Act to offer prize gaming, subject to certain conditions, and do not therefore require a separate prize gaming permit:
- Holders of adult gaming centre premises licences
- Holders of family entertainment centre premises licences
- Holders of family entertainment centre gaming machine permits
- Travelling fairs
- Bingo halls
A permit lasts for 10 years. There is no annual fee for this type of permit.
To apply, please use the application form below and submit it to the licensing authority using our contact form.
Licence fees
- Application fee - £300
- Change of detail - £25
- Replacement copy - £15
Family entertainment centre (unlicensed) permit
If you run a family entertainment centre (FEC), such as an arcade, and you want to place coin pushers or similar category D gaming machines, you need to apply for an unlicensed family entertainment centre gaming machine permit.
Please note: If you wish to have higher stakes machines on your premises, you must apply for an FEC premises licence.
We will grant unlicensed FEC gaming machine permits for 10 years, unless we state otherwise.
There is no annual fee for an unlicensed FEC gaming machine permit.
To apply, please use the application form below:
Licence fees
- Application fee - £300
- Change of detail - £25
- Replacement copy - £15
Application process
Once you have completed your application, submit it to the licensing department by completing the licensing department contact form.
You will also be required to submit the appropriate fee for the application, this can be paid using our online payment form.
Pay for your gaming permit application
Please note: In order to apply for any of the above permits under the Gambling Act 2005 you must be aged 18 years or older and have a right to occupy the premises.
Once we have received your application, relevant supporting documents and fee, depending on the application we may need to consult with the relevant responsible authorities.
If we receive no objections, we will grant your permit once the consultation period ends. If we do receive an objection, we will hold a hearing to decide whether to refuse or grant a permit.