Open consultation

Bingo premises licensing

Published 15 October 2025

Current regime

1. The licensed bingo sector is made up of a diverse range of venues, and in recent years there has been an evolution in where and how bingo is offered. The sector includes traditional bingo clubs, which typically have large areas for bingo and smaller areas for gaming machines. Bingo operators also offer facilities for licensed bingo in holiday park settings or in clubs such as working men’s clubs or alcohol licensed premises, for example where the stakes or prizes meet the threshold for ‘high turnover’ bingo.

2. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of smaller bingo sites, often on the high street. Some of these venues are predominantly gaming machine-led, and others split their offering between bingo and gaming machines more evenly. Additionally, some operators have introduced new, vibrant concepts for in-person bingo, attracting younger audiences.

3. In bingo venues, bingo can be played with a physical ticket or using digital devices such as electronic bingo terminals (EBTs). Games can be limited to a single venue or linked across multiple venues, allowing many more people to participate in a single game than would otherwise be possible

4. The number of bingo clubs in Great Britain has been falling in recent years. Data from the Bingo Association, the trade association for the licensed bingo sector in Great Britain, shows that the number of bingo clubs registered with the Association fell from 335 to 248 between December 2018 and August 2024. Despite the fall in the number of bingo clubs, the number of licensed bingo premises in Great Britain has remained steady, according to the Gambling Commission’s industry statistics. This is partly due to an increase in the number of high street bingo premises. Figure 1 shows that the number of high street bingo premises registered with the Bingo Association increased from 119 in 2018 to 218 in 2024.

Figure 1 - Number of venues registered with the Bingo Association, by type

5. These changes have coincided with shifts in the composition of bingo sector gross gambling yield (GGY). According to Gambling Commission Industry Statistics, the proportion of GGY that the overall licensed bingo sector derives from gaming machines significantly increased from 44% in the year to March 2014 to 63% in the year to March 2024. Gaming machines are now the primary revenue stream for the licensed bingo sector, and represent a higher proportion of sector GGY than in the land-based casino sector (25%) and the land-based betting sector (50%).

6. Research indicates that in-person bingo is a relatively low-risk gambling activity. The Health Survey for England and the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain found that rates of PGSI scores of 8 or more were lower for players of in-person bingo than for any other gambling activity except for lotteries, scratchcards, lottery instant win games and private betting. The government also recognises that bingo can play an important social role in local areas, including offering opportunities for fun and socialising and helping to combat loneliness.

7. The regulatory framework established by the Gambling Act 2005 does not set out the proportion or amount of bingo that licensed bingo premises must offer. However, the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) sets out requirements in relation to the provision of facilities for bingo in licensed bingo venues. This provision applies to all non-remote bingo operating licences. Social responsibility code 9.1.2 says that in licensed bingo premises, gaming machines may be made available for use only where there are also “substantive” facilities for non-remote bingo. The threshold for “substantive” is not defined in the LCCP. The Commission noted in its 2016 consultation responses document that it did not explicitly seek to quantify what ‘substantive’ would mean in all circumstances, as it wanted to avoid an inflexible ‘one size fits all’ approach. Additionally, the LCCP requires that bingo licensees ensure that the function and presentation of the premises are such that a customer can reasonably be expected to recognise that it is a premises licensed for the purposes of providing bingo facilities.

8. As highlighted in the Gambling Commission’s advice to the previous government (pages 135 to 137) as part of the Gambling Act Review, there are gambling premises which are licensed solely as bingo venues, but which offer relatively limited facilities for the play of bingo and give the appearance to consumers of being adult gaming centres. In these bingo venues, gaming machines can take up most of the floor space and are the most predominant feature on display to consumers when they enter the premises.

9. The Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) Regulations 2007 prohibit the consumption of alcohol whilst gambling is taking place on the premises for AGCs, FECs and betting premises (other than at tracks). There is no prohibition in respect of bingo premises, which may apply for an alcohol licence.

Rationale for change

10. Many licensed bingo premises are largely taken up by gaming machines and are difficult to distinguish from adult gaming centres. The government’s current understanding, based on our engagement with industry and the Gambling Commission, is that a significant number of high street bingo premises offer limited facilities for bingo. The government wants to ensure that all land-based gambling premises have a licence type that is appropriate to the offering in their premises.

11. The aforementioned changes in the bingo sector may mean that the distinction between some licensed bingo premises and adult gaming centres is unclear to many consumers. The government believes that it is important that consumers have clear expectations about types of licensed premises and for there to be clear distinctions between them. Gaming machine play is associated with a higher risk of experiencing problem gambling than in-person bingo, with a higher rate of PGSI scores of 8+ according to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain. A PGSI score of 8+ usually represents problem gambling. A venue that primarily offers gaming machines - even if licensed as a bingo venue - has a different overall risk profile to a bingo venue with prominent bingo facilities. Additionally, a lack of clarity about the type of premises one is in or the premises within a geographical area might have implications for consumer protection and the risk-profile of an area, which may impact how a licensing authority approaches gambling strategy and decision-making. For example, it might make it more difficult for a customer to understand which multi-operator self-exclusion scheme is relevant to them in particular circumstances. The current framework also creates a situation whereby alcohol is not permitted in any gaming machine-led premises that are licensed as an adult gaming centre, but may be permitted in gaming machine-led premises that are licensed for bingo.

12. In its 2023 advice to the previous government as part of the Gambling Act Review, the Gambling Commission recommended that the government consider a requirement for a minimum percentage of the licensed premises area in bingo venues to be designated exclusively for bingo facilities, in order to ensure a greater substantive offer of bingo in such premises. This adjustment would strengthen the Gambling Commission’s existing rules in the LCCP for bingo licensees related to the provision of bingo.

13. A clear delineation between different types of licensed gambling premises - in this case between bingo premises and adult gaming centres - is important to ensure that the gambling licensing system and regulatory framework are fit for purpose. It would help ensure that policy could be appropriately targeted to different parts of the land-based gambling sector in the future. It also aligns with the previous government’s commitment, in its 2024 response to the consultation on measures relating to the land-based sector, to explore measures to create a clearer distinction between arcade premises and bingo venues. Additionally, requiring a minimum level of facilities for bingo in licensed bingo premises would help ensure that all such venues have a substantive offering of bingo.

14. In light of these factors, the government believes there is a case for strengthening licence conditions for bingo premises in line with the Gambling Commission’s 2023 advice. We are consulting on proposals to ensure that all bingo venues offer a minimum level of provision of facilities for bingo and to create a clearer distinction between bingo venues and adult gaming centres.

Government position and options

15. This consultation proposes the establishment of a ‘bingo area’, an area of the venue dedicated to facilities for bingo, in all licensed bingo premises. It also consults on options related to the conditions that might apply to the ‘bingo area’. For some proposed conditions, the government has indicated a preferred option, based on the evidence currently available to us.

A ‘bingo area’ in licensed bingo premises

16. The government is proposing to require that a minimum proportion of floor space in licensed bingo venues is dedicated to facilities for bingo. This requirement would ensure that all bingo premises offer a minimum level of facilities for bingo and would also ensure a clearer distinction between licensed bingo premises and adult gaming centres. As set out below, the government is consulting on a number of conditions that could apply to the area for bingo, including prohibiting the siting of in-fill or cabinet gaming machines in the bingo area, and mandating a minimum number of seated positions for bingo to be included in the bingo area. We welcome feedback from all stakeholders on the establishment of a bingo area.

Proposal

Require that a minimum proportion of floor space in licensed premises is dedicated to facilities for bingo and designated as the ‘bingo area’

Proportion of floor space dedicated to the bingo area

17. We recognise that licensed bingo premises vary in the proportion of floor space allocated to bingo facilities, gaming machines, and other areas like lobby space. Whilst many bingo venues dedicate significantly more than half their floor space to bingo, there are others that divide space more evenly between bingo and gaming machines or may have more space dedicated to gaming machines than bingo. We believe that dedicating at least 30% of a licensed bingo premises’ total floor space to a bingo area would ensure that bingo remains a significant part of the overall offering and would differentiate these venues from adult gaming centres. Additionally, our view is that requiring a proportion of floor space greater than 50% of the venue could be disproportionately burdensome for some small bingo venues. We are seeking to collect further evidence to inform our views on the proportion of venue floor space that should be designated as the bingo area, to help ensure that our approach is proportionate and evidence-based. We are consulting on three options in relation to the proportion of floor space in licensed bingo venues that should be designated as the bingo area:

Options

A. At least 30% of floor space in licensed bingo premises should be designated as a continuous bingo area.

B. At least 40% of floor space in licensed bingo premises should be designated as a continuous bingo area.

C. At least 50% of floor space in licensed bingo premises should be designated as a continuous bingo area.

Gaming machines in the bingo area

18. Our intention is for the bingo area to be a space genuinely dedicated to bingo and which is differentiated from gaming machine-led areas. The government therefore believes that it would be inappropriate for large, fixed gaming machines to be available in this area. As in the previous government’s response to its consultation on measures relating to the land-based sector, when considering the range of types of gaming machines, we distinguish between tablet gaming machines (fixed or handheld), in-fill gaming machines and cabinet gaming machines. We propose prohibiting any cabinet or in-fill gaming machines from being sited within the bingo area. Additionally, we propose that every tablet gaming machine in the bingo area must offer bingo, even if it also offers gaming machine content. Our intention is therefore: for (a) bingo and (b) gambling via tablet or other handheld machines which also offer bingo to be the only gambling activities permitted in the bingo area; and for larger gaming machines, namely in-fills and cabinets, to be sited in a separate area.

Proposal

Licensed bingo premises must not site cabinet or in-fill gaming machines within the bingo area

Proposal

Any tablet gaming machines permitted in the bingo area must also offer bingo

19. We are mindful of the potential to inflate the size of the bingo area by defining the spaces in parts of the venue that are gaming machine-led as part of the bingo area. For example, we do not think it would be appropriate for areas of floor space between gaming machines in the area dedicated to gaming machines to be defined as part of the bingo area, even though it might theoretically be possible for bingo to be played in these spaces. This would undermine the intention of creating a distinct area for bingo in all bingo premises. We are therefore consulting on a condition that in-fill and cabinet gaming machines should not be sited within a certain distance of the bingo area. The government’s preferred approach is that there should be such a minimum distance. To ensure that our proposals are suitable for the full range of licensed bingo premises, we are seeking views on this proposal and the appropriate minimum distance between the bingo area and cabinet and in-fill gaming machines.

Options

A. No minimum distance between cabinet or in-fill gaming machines and the bingo area

B. Licensed bingo venues must not site cabinet or in-fill gaming machines within at least 0.5 metres of the bingo area.

C. Licensed bingo venues must not site cabinet or in-fill gaming machines within at least 1 metre of the bingo area.

D. Licensed bingo venues must not site cabinet or in-fill gaming machines within at least 2 metres of the bingo area.

Gaming machine content on EBTs

20. Electronic bingo terminals (EBTs) are widely used in bingo venues for participation in bingo games. EBTs, which are often mobile, frequently offer gaming machine content alongside bingo. We would like to seek views on three options as part of this consultation, to ensure that our final position is evidence-based.

21. The government’s preferred option is to permit the use of EBTs in the bingo area with the same gaming content that is currently allowed on EBTs in bingo premises. Given the presence of gaming machine content on many EBTs today, prohibiting gaming machine play on EBTs in the bingo area could impose significant operational burdens on many bingo venues. It would likely require bingo operators to monitor the types of tablet devices or games customers play in the bingo area, or to modify the offerings on EBTs. It could also disrupt the experience for customers who are accustomed to playing gaming machine content on EBTs during bingo game intervals. Additionally, as noted in the Gambling Commission’s guidance on when a machine is ‘available for use’, an EBT must only allow participation in one gambling activity at a time and should not therefore contain functionality which allows participation in bingo and gaming machine activity simultaneously. This would help ensure that the bingo area is likely to be primarily dedicated to the playing of bingo, especially during bingo sessions.

22. We are also seeking stakeholder views on permitting only Category C and D gaming machine content on permitted devices in the bingo area. The rationale for including this option is that it could allow customers to continue to play gaming machine content in the bingo area, while maintaining the area as a lower-risk gambling environment primarily dedicated to bingo rather than gaming machine play. Category B gaming machines are considered ‘harder’ (potentially more intensive or higher stakes) gambling products when compared to other machines. This option would demarcate the bingo area as an area with a mixed gambling offering, weighted towards lower stake and prize machines. We believe that this option would place operational burdens on bingo venues and could restrict their commercial flexibility, and we would welcome feedback on this. We would also welcome feedback and evidence on the impacts that this proposal might have on gambling-related harm, as well as the impacts that it might have on the customer experience in bingo venues.

23. The third option on which we are consulting is a requirement that bingo is the sole gambling activity permitted in the bingo area. We want to gather views and evidence on the potential benefits and impacts of having a space in licensed bingo premises dedicated exclusively to bingo. Under this option electronic bingo terminals without gaming machine content would still be permitted in the bingo area. This type of approach has precedent in the gambling licensing regime. Small and Large 2005 Act casinos must offer a table gaming area, where no gambling is permitted other than gambling by way of table gaming, in order to ensure that casinos maintain a balanced mix of products and that table gaming remains at the core of their offer.

Options

A. In licensed bingo venues, all currently permitted gaming machine content on tablets which offer electronic bingo should be permitted in the bingo area

B. In licensed bingo venues, only Category C and D gaming machine content on tablets which offer electronic bingo should be permitted in the bingo area

C. In licensed bingo venues, no gaming machine content should be permitted in the bingo area. (Electronic bingo terminals without gaming machine content permitted.)

Positions in the bingo area

24. The government believes that the bingo area should be actively available for bingo and not be a dormant space or used solely for non-bingo facilities like bar space. We are consulting on a requirement for a minimum number of distinct designated positions for playing bingo in the bingo area. We believe a position to be a concept familiar to many bingo operators. In our view, a position is a space for a customer to play bingo while seated, which is recognisable as such, providing a surface for paper or electronic play of bingo. A distinct position would be a seat or wheelchair space where a single customer can play bingo unimpeded while seated. For example, a single table with four seats would count as four positions. We would not consider a seat primarily intended for use at a non-EBT gaming machine to be counted as a position for bingo. We will seek further views from stakeholders as part of this consultation on how a position should be formally defined.

25. We do not expect a requirement related to a minimum number of positions to be a burdensome requirement for bingo venues that offer areas for the playing of bingo today. Many bingo venues offer hundreds of positions for bingo. We recognise the diversity of bingo premises and that there will be varied views on the appropriate minimum number of positions. Our options are based on the information available, including reviewing publicly available data such as premises floor plans, as well as engagement with the bingo sector.

Options

A. No requirement for a minimum number of positions for bingo in the bingo area

B. The bingo area as a whole must contain a minimum of 30 distinct positions for bingo

C. The bingo area as a whole must contain a minimum of 40 distinct positions for bingo

D. The bingo area must contain a minimum of 30 distinct positions for bingo. Where the bingo area is under 200 square metres in size, it should contain at least one distinct position for every 2.5 square metres of floor space. Where the bingo area is at least 200 square metres in size, it should contain at least 80 distinct positions, with no further requirement for more positions if the floor space is greater than 200 square metres.

Other features of the bingo area

26. The government is not proposing other requirements related to the presentation of the environment in the bingo area. We want to give operators flexibility over the visual presentation of venues and allow space for adaptation or innovation. Bingo premises must already satisfy LCCP 9.1.2, which requires that the internal and/or external presentation of licensed bingo premises are such that a customer can reasonably be expected to recognise that it is a premises licensed for the purposes of providing bingo facilities.

27. We welcome stakeholder views on aspects of our proposals that mean they may not achieve the objectives of creating a clearer distinction between adult gaming centres and bingo premises and ensuring bingo premises offer meaningful facilities for bingo. We also welcome any additional proposals that may be worth considering in order to achieve those objectives.

Transitional arrangements

28. The government intends for the proposals in this consultation to apply both to existing bingo premises and to premises which may be granted a bingo premises licence in the future. As set out in more detail below, we anticipate that these proposals may require some bingo premises licensees either to adapt the layout and offering in their bingo premises or alternatively to convert premises to adult gaming centres, both of which would involve costs for operators.

29. We would provide an appropriate implementation period, the length of which would be informed by input received during this consultation, before any new requirements came into force, to allow operators to make any changes required. We will consider whether it would be appropriate for this commencement period to differ for newly licensed premises compared to existing ones and if other differentiated arrangements would be required to ensure that impacts on operators are proportionate. The nature and duration of these transitional arrangements will be informed by the evidence gathered through this consultation. We welcome views from all stakeholders on these matters.

30. We also recognise that these proposals would entail new requirements that licensing authorities, alongside the Gambling Commission, would be required to take account of and enforce. We welcome views from licensing authorities on these proposals and any considerations related to transitional arrangements. We will work closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that appropriate guidance is provided to licensing authorities regarding any new requirements for bingo licensees.

Scotland

31. The government’s expectation is that the proposals in this consultation would be implemented via changes to the Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007. It is for Scottish Ministers to consider whether they want to amend the Mandatory and Default Conditions that apply to bingo premises located in Scotland.

Impacts

Impacts on gambling operators

32. The government recognises that the proposals in this consultation would have impacts on operators in the bingo sector, particularly operators with premises where most of the floor space is dedicated to areas for gaming machines. We will use responses to this consultation to help quantify impacts, and we encourage responses to this consultation to provide data and other evidence related to expected impacts. Any data we receive will be used to ensure that any measures we propose are proportionate. Whilst we have considered impacts on operators of different types of venue below, we understand that there is a diverse array of bingo venues and that impacts are likely to differ from case to case.

Impacts for operators of licensed bingo venues which have a large proportion of their premises dedicated to facilities for bingo

33. We expect the proposals in this consultation to have relatively limited impacts where bingo premises already have large areas for the playing of bingo. The proposals would require operators to ensure that venues have a minimum proportion of the venue designated for the playing of bingo and to define this as the bingo area. We do not expect this to require adjustments to the layout of these venues. The proposals relating to gaming machines in the bingo area would require operators to ensure that any cabinets or in-fill gaming machines were not sited in the bingo area and, under the government’s preferred approach, operators would need to ensure that cabinets and in-fills were located a minimum distance from the bingo area. For most venues with large areas for bingo, we do not expect this requirement to be burdensome. However, we acknowledge some clubs site gaming machines in the bingo hall today and note that this may have implications for where operators demarcate the bingo area.

34. We are consulting on a number of options relating to gaming machine content on EBTs in the bingo area. The government’s preferred approach is to permit gaming machine content on tablet EBTs in the bingo area. We welcome evidence on the potential impacts of prohibiting Category B gaming machine content or all gaming machine content in the bingo area.

Impacts on operators of bingo venues where less than 30% to 50% of floor space is dedicated to facilities for bingo

35. For licensed bingo premises where over 50% of the venue is dedicated to areas for facilities other than bingo, such as areas primarily siting gaming machines, we expect that operators would need to make adaptations to meet any requirements related to establishment of a bingo area. If a premises did not meet the floor space threshold set for the bingo area, licensees could adapt their premises to expand the area that is dedicated to facilities for bingo. Alternatively, a licensee could choose to convert a bingo premises to an adult gaming centre premises. This would require them to apply to vary the relevant premises licence to an adult gaming centre premises licence. If the licensee did not already hold the appropriate operating licence, it would also require them to obtain a Gaming machine general: AGC operating licence.

Converting bingo premises to AGC premises

36. If an operator wished to maintain a predominantly gaming machine-focused offering in a particular venue and not to offer a minimum area of floor space for facilities for bingo, it could convert the premises to an adult gaming centre premises licence. Any premises converting from a bingo premises licence to an adult gaming centre premises licence would need to abide by the rules related to the playing of bingo in adult gaming centres, should these premises choose to continue offering bingo. Adult gaming centres are permitted only to offer prize bingo (where bingo is played for a set of prizes which are not determined by the number of people playing or the amount paid or raised by the game, and where bingo is therefore in a format which meets the definition of ‘prize gaming). A key impact of converting a bingo premises to an adult gaming centre premises is therefore that the premises can no longer offer bingo other than prize bingo.

37. If an operator did not already hold a Gaming machine general: AGC operating licence, it would need to add a new licence activity to its current non-remote operating licence. Current licence application fees for Gaming machine general: AGC operating licences are between £1,406 and £23,435, depending on the operator’s gross gambling yield (GGY). The application fee for adding a licensed activity is 25 per cent of the standard licence application fee, and the fee would therefore be between £351 and £5,859.

38. Converting a licensed bingo premises to an adult gaming centre would require an operator to pay a fee to the relevant licensing authority to vary the premises licence accordingly. Premises licence fees in England and Wales vary by licensing authority but are capped. The maximum fee for an application to vary a bingo premises licence in England and Wales is £1,750.

39. Data shared with us by the Gambling Commission, which represents its best estimate of disaggregated GGY across bingo venues, suggests that, among operators that mainly or exclusively operate premises categorised by the Bingo Association as high street bingo (rather than bingo clubs or holiday park bingo), less than 1% of GGY is derived from bingo games, and 99% of GGY is derived from gaming machines. This compares with 51% of GGY derived from bingo for operators that mainly or exclusively operate premises categorised by the Bingo Association as bingo clubs, and 55% for operators that mainly or exclusively operate premises categorised by the Bingo Association as holiday park bingo. We will use responses to this consultation to supplement this initial view and develop a more granular picture of the GGY mix among different types of premises in the licensed bingo sector to make an evidenced estimate of the impact on GGY to different types of premises as a result of the proposals on which we are consulting.

40. Any bingo premises converting to an adult gaming centre licence would no longer have the option to serve alcohol on the premises, due to alcohol being prohibited by regulations in adult gaming centres. This may have an impact on overall sales for those bingo venues that currently serve alcohol that choose to convert to adult gaming centre licences.

41. We welcome further evidence related to GGY, costs or other impacts that such conversions may entail.

Adjusting premises

42. Bingo licensees with premises with limited facilities for bingo could also adapt venues so as to meet requirements related to provision of a bingo area. This would be likely to require expansion of the existing facilities for bingo and moving cabinet and in-fill gaming machines from that space. In venues where there was no space for gaming machines to be moved, this would result in a reduction in the overall number of gaming machines available on the premises. We welcome further evidence on any impacts related to costs or impacts on GGY that such adaptation may have.

43. Granular official data on the number of bingo premises that are gaming machine-led is not available, but data from the Bingo Association shows that the number of registered high street bingo venues was 218 in 2024, and we expect that many of these venues predominantly site gaming machines. We will seek further information and data in this area as part of the consultation process.

Impacts on consumers

44. The proposals set out in this consultation would ensure there is a dedicated area for bingo available to customers in all licensed bingo premises. This would ensure that customers are presented with a mixed offering of gambling activities which includes a minimum level of facilities for bingo in all licensed bingo premises.

45. We expect the proposals would improve consumers’ awareness of the characteristics of premises that they are visiting or which apply for a premises licence in their area. It would increase the likelihood that customers can recognise a licensed bingo venue as such and understand the appropriate multi-operator self-exclusion scheme to use if they wish to self-exclude. It will also ensure a more consistent approach to rules related to the ability to serve alcohol in premises that are predominantly made up of gaming machines, that is to say, a prohibition on serving alcohol in such premises (excluding casinos).