6 replies to this topic

[class]

Hi, I work for a small football supporters club and on matchdays have a bar open to the public. This bar gets quite busy and so a fruitie would generate some additonal funds for the football club. My question is if its a £5 jackpot machine is a licence needed? Being a small club, they are not going to be willing to pay out unnecessary expenses for a licence.
Many thanks.

[Sarky]

My question is if its a £5 jackpot machine is a licence needed?

No, no AMLD (amusement machine licence duty) is due on machines with a jackpot of £8 or less provided the stake is also 10p or less. You can also operate an SWP (quiz machine) with a stake of 50p or less without AMLD liability.

I recommend you get a game especially designed for 10p/£8 play and not an ex-pub machine with a knockdown kit as they're really not profiled properly for low stakes play.

[Bencrest]

? I've never had a problem with Pub AWPs running lower stake/prize settings. Only difference would be the lack of 10/20p payout.

Examples of machines geared for low stake and prize usage would be :

BWBs [Rebuilds of Barcrest AWPs designed for lower stake/prize]
Global [Rebuilds of Maygay/Impulse AWPs designed for lower/stake/prize]

To be honest I prefer the Barcrest ones as the minimum prize when you get on a board is £1, rather than the 20p wins on BWBs like Psycho Cash Beast.

[Gablaholic]

Bear in mind that although licence duty will not be payable, you still need to notify your local authority and obtain permission to site the machine.

You could also consider one of the new random Section 16/21 machines, on which the duty is a lot lower, although these are invariably lo-techs. Also consider that many people prefer a 'controlled' game to a random one.

Explanation of S.16 can be found here :

http://www.astra-gam...explained.shtml

[Sarky]

Bear in mind that although licence duty will not be payable, you still need to notify your local authority and obtain permission to site the machine.

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that a pub licence came bundled with a permit to operate at least two AWPs.

You could also consider one of the new random Section 16/21 machines

This, I'm sure, is not possible. To operate a S16 machine you need either a S34 licence for the whole premises (e.g. be an arcade) or to be granted a S16 permit. However, the restrictions on getting a S16 permit are such that one would never be granted to a pub.

[Sarky]

? I've never had a problem with Pub AWPs running lower stake/prize settings. Only difference would be the lack of 10/20p payout.

I guess it's something of a personal preference... It's not that there's any particular problem with them, it's just that no effort is put into making them play nicely. In the long run I think specially designed low stakes machines have a much longer life.

[nails]

you say the club is, or probably unwilling to pay for an unnecessary licence? which is a fair comemnt, but given the taking of a £5 jp and a £25 jackpot machine, the cost is easly paid. I understand that some operators also offer the option for the to pay the licence, and then you go 50/50 on the takings..