Club gaming permit (CGP)

A club gaming permit 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 three 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 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 (CMP)

A club machine permit 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 are:

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

A club gaming permit or club machine permit lasts for ten years unless it ceases to have effect because it is surrendered or lapses. However, 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 and only ceases to have effect if it is surrendered, cancelled or forfeited or it lapses because the club premises certificate is not in place.

Apply via post: 

Fast-track procedure

A fast-track procedure is available for clubs which hold a club premises certificate under the Licensing Act 2003.

Under the fast-track procedure, there is no opportunity for objections to be made by the Gambling Commission or the police and the grounds on which we can refuse a permit are reduced.

Permits granted under the fast-track procedure do not expire unless surrendered or, the club premises certificate is no longer in place.

Fees

Please refer to the Council's list of fees. 

An annual fee is due for all licences and permits. The fee is due on the anniversary of the licence or permit issue date.