Gambling, machines and lottery permits

If you run a private members' club (like a working men’s club, rugby club, or British Legion), with a club premises certificate, you will need to apply for a club gaming or a club machine permit if you wish to have gaming machines or activity on your premises.

Club gaming permit (CGP) 

A club gaming permit is available to members’ clubs (like a working men’s club, rugby club, or British Legion), 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 (like a working men’s club, rugby club, or British Legion) 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. 

To apply for either a club machine permit or a club gaming permit you will need to complete the application form and email it to licensing@lichfielddc.gov.uk

Club gaming permit/club machine permit application form

Fee

The fee for a club machine permit and a club gaming permit is £200. The licensing team will contact you when your application has been received to arrange to take payment.

The club gaming permit and club machine permit lasts for 10 years. You must make an application to renew the permit no earlier than 12 weeks before it expires and no later than six weeks before it expires.