Section 247: Family entertainment centre permits
606.Family entertainment centre (“FEC”) gaming machine permits allow certain gaming machines to be made available for use without an operating or premises licence. These permits are issued by licensing authorities using the procedure set out in Schedule 10. They relate to the lowest category of machine. If an FEC wished to use Category C and D machines, it would require an appropriate operating and premises licence, under Parts 5 and 8 of the Act. The permits provided for here only relate to Category D machines.
607.Only premises which are wholly or mainly used for making gaming machines available for use may hold an FEC gaming machine permit. This is a change from the position prior to the Act, when any premises could apply for a permit allowing them to use an “amusements with prizes” gaming machine (the nearest equivalent to a Category D machine). The intention is that gaming machines in certain non-gambling premises, like those now sometimes located in fish and chip shops and taxi cab ranks, should be removed. Once these provisions are commenced, permits previously granted under Schedule 9 to the Gaming Act 1968 will no longer be available under the Act, except to the extent that they relate to premises wholly or mainly used for making gaming machines available for use. Transitional provisions, under Part 18, will give effect to this change, and allow existing permits to continue after the repeal of the relevant provisions of the 1968 Act, until the date on which they would otherwise have expired if those provisions had continued in force. The position of premises holding an alcohol licence is dealt with separately in Part 12.