Family entertainment centres

Family entertainment centres (FECs) are commonly located at seaside resorts, in airports and at motorway service stations, and cater for families, including unaccompanied children and young persons. Unlicensed FECs are able to offer only category D machines on a gaming machine permit. Any number of category D machines can be made available with such a permit subject to other considerations, such as fire regulations and health and safety. Permits cannot be issued in respect of vessels or vehicles.

If the operator of a family entertainment centre wants to make category C machines available in addition to category D machines, the operator will need to apply for a gaming machine general operating licence (Family Entertainment Centre) from the Gambling Commission and a premises licence from the licensing authority (Plymouth City Council).

Gaming machine categories summary [12KB]

Applying for a permit

The application for a permit can only be made by a person who occupies or plans to occupy the premises to be used as an unlicensed FEC and, if the applicant is an individual, he or she must be aged 18 or over. Applications for a permit cannot be made if a premises licence is in effect for the same premises. The application must be made to the licensing authority in whose area the premises are wholly or partly situated.

We will consult with the Chief Officer of the Police and if there are no representations (objections) made the permit will be issued. There is no annual fee but the permit must be renewed after ten years.

You can't transfer the permit to a new operator; a new application would have to be made.

Related documents

For further information on fees and guidance documents in relation to gaming machines and the categories for gaming machines please see the guidance documents page.

Application forms

Please see the application forms page for a list of all the application forms required under the Gambling Act 2003.