Licence activities
Family entertainment centre
This licence is for Family Entertainment Centres (FEC), often called arcades.
This licence allows you to offer an unlimited number of category C and D gaming machines in a premises which is open to all ages. Category C machines must, however, be in a segregated part of the premises that is supervised to prevent children and young people accessing those machines.
If you apply for one of these licences you can also apply for linked licences if you intend to maintain the gaming machines on the Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) premises yourself.
If you just want to make category D gaming machines or bingo prize gaming machines available to play in your arcade you don’t need a licence from us, but you do need a permit from your local licensing authority.
You do not need a licence from us if you have machines that do not offer a prize, or the prize is worth the same or less than the money paid to play the machine.
Current application fees
| Fee category | Annual gross gambling yield | Application Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Less than £200,000 | £1,406 |
| A2 | £200,000 or greater, up to but excluding £750,000 | £1,406 |
| A3 | £750,000 or greater, up to but excluding £1.25 million | £1,406 |
| B1 | £1.25 million or greater, up to but excluding £2 million | £1,406 |
| B2 | £2 million or greater, up to but excluding £4 million | £1,406 |
| B3 | £4 million or greater, up to but excluding £7.5 million | £1,406 |
| C1 | £7.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £14 million | £2,342 |
| D1 | £14 million or greater, up to but excluding £30 million | £7,030 |
| E1 | £30 million or greater | £23,435 |
Application fees from 1 October 2026
| Fee category | Annual gross gambling yield | Application Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Less than £250,000 | £1,392 |
| A2 | £250,000 or greater, up to but excluding £875,000 | £1,616 |
| A3 | £875,000 or greater, up to but excluding £3 million | £1,876 |
| B1 | £3 million or greater, up to but excluding £10.5 million | £2,252 |
| B2 | £10.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £36.75 million | £2,702 |
| B3 | £36.75 million or greater, up to but excluding £130 million | £3,242 |
| C1 | £130 million or greater, up to but excluding £455 million | £3,890 |
| D1 | £455 million or greater, up to but excluding £655 million | £4,201 |
| E1 | £655 million or greater | £5,672 |
Current annual fees
Your first annual fee is due 30 days after your licence is issued and is reduced by 25 percent (ancillary and linked licence annual fees are not subject to this reduction).
After this, fees are due every year before the anniversary of the day your licence was issued.
| Fee category | Annual gross gambling yield | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Less than £200,000 | £1,150 |
| A2 | £200,000 or greater, up to but excluding £750,000 | £1,173 |
| A3 | £750,000 or greater, up to but excluding £1.25 million | £1,926 |
| B1 | £1.25 million or greater, up to but excluding £2 million | £3,082 |
| B2 | £2 million or greater, up to but excluding £4 million | £3,360 |
| B3 | £4 million or greater, up to but excluding £7.5 million | £3,833 |
| C1 | £7.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £14 million | £11,236 |
| D1 | £14 million or greater, up to but excluding £30 million | £22,072 |
| E1 | £30 million or greater | £41,840 |
Annual fees from 1 October 2026
| Fee category | Annual gross gambling yield | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Less than £250,000 | £1,187 |
| A2 | £250,000 or greater, up to but excluding £875,000 | £1,392 |
| A3 | £875,000 or greater, up to but excluding £3 million | £1,937 |
| B1 | £3 million or greater, up to but excluding £10.5 million | £4,185 |
| B2 | £10.5 million or greater, up to but excluding £36.75 million | £12,403 |
| B3 | £36.75 million or greater, up to but excluding £130 million | £41,687 |
| C1 | £130 million or greater, up to but excluding £455 million | £143,325 |
| D1 | £455 million or greater, up to but excluding £655 million | £221,332 |
| E1 | £655 million or greater | £299,985 plus £78,653 for each complete additional £200 million of annual gross gambling yield above £655 million |
Related activities
Last updated: 6 July 2026
Show updates to this content
Addition of new fees that come into effect on 1 October 2026 have been added.