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Family entertainment centre gaming machine permit
Only premises which are wholly or mainly used for making gaming machines available for use(such as small arcades in holiday parks, theme parks and seaside resorts) may hold a Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) Gaming Machine Permit.

Permits cannot be issued to vessels or vehicles.  FECs who do not hold a Premises Licence under the Gambling Act 2005 can only offer Category D machines under this Permit.

A permit allows any number of Category D machines.  These are the lowest category of gaming machines available, and the only type that children and young people are allowed to play.

Category C machines

If an FEC operator wants to make Category C machines available, they will need to apply for an Operating Licence from the Gambling Commission and then a Gambling Premises Licence from the Council.

Holders of a Gambling Premises Licence issued under the Act may not apply for an FEC Gaming Machine Permit.

FEC Gaming Machine Permits replace the Section 34(1) Permits which were issued under the 1968 Gaming Act.

Other important changes

Please note that gaming machines may no longer be provided in places where the provision of gaming machines is not the main purpose of the premises.  This means that gaming machines may no longer be provided in cafes and minicab offices.

If you hold an existing permit under Section 34(1) of the Gaming Act 1968, you may keep your machine until your permit expires.  After that time,you will have to remove the machine, or you will face prosecution and/or seizure of the machine.

Machine suppliers who place machines in such premises illegally can also face prosecution by the Gambling Commission and may have their Operator’s Licence revoked.

Applying for an FEC permit

Applicants for a Family Entertainment Centre Permit will need to provide the following:

  • A plan showing the layout of the premises
  • Evidence that Criminal Record Bureau checks are carried out for staff
  • Evidence that appropriate measures/training is in place for staff to enable them to deal with suspected truant school children on the premises, deal with unsupervised very young children on the premises, and have a full understanding of the maximum stakes and prizes permissible in unlicensed FECs
  • Evidence of how the applicant would deal with children causing perceived problems on or around the premises
  • Evidence that the applicant is able to demonstrate a full understanding of the maximum stakes and prizes of the gambling that is permissible in unlicensed FECs
  • Evidence that the applicant has no relevant convictions (those set out in Schedule 7 of the Act)
Fees
There are fees for this process.