Join the UKBGF

To join the UKBGF for three years, or by annual subscription, please read the relevant sections below and then click HERE.  To apply for Youth membership, Student membership, or Life membership, please use the appropriate link at the foot of this page.

If you enjoy playing backgammon please consider joining the UKBGF – the cost and benefits of membership are listed further down this page.

The best way to grow the game of backgammon for the benefit of both new and existing players is by means of subscription income and practical assistance from as many members as possible. With your help we will continue to build a diverse community catering for all backgammon players. If you would like to read more about what the United Kingdom Backgammon Federation does before you join, go to What is the UKBGF? (and other pages under the ‘About’ tab).

When you are ready to join the UKBGF for the first time, please click Apply to Join, select either one-year (i.e. annual subscription) or three-year membership, and complete the online form including payment details by credit or debit card. Note that joining for three years involves a one-off payment, whereas one-year subscription membership requires the completion of a recurring payment mandate for future annual renewals.  More details about the secure payment process appear under the Membership Fee table below.

Please note that automated emails which will be sent to you when you complete the online join process should be regarded as an acknowledgement of receipt of your application, and not confirmation of your membership. Your UKBGF membership will not be effective until reviewed and accepted by the UKBGF.  Membership may be refused and fees refunded as deemed appropriate by the UKBGF in its sole discretion.

Am I still a member?

If you have been a member in the past, but you think that your membership has lapsed (and to confirm that it has), you should visit your membership account: https://ukbgf.com/membership-account/ and log in with your original username (or email address) and password prior to renewing. If you cannot remember your password, click ‘Lost your Password’ and a new temporary password will be emailed to you. If you just try to join again without logging in, the system will not allow you to use the same username or email address as used for your earlier membership. Once logged in to your membership account, select ‘Renew’ for the same period of membership as previously, or ‘Change’ to switch from 1- to 3-year membership or vice versa. If you experience any difficulty, please email subscriptions@ukbgf.com for assistance.

If in doubt about whether your membership is still current, and you have played any live or online rated matches in UKBGF-affiliated clubs or events, first check either the live or online ratings where members’ names are in bold (start entering your name in the Filter box). You can also check your current membership status, category, renewal date and (for 1-year members) recurring payment details in your membership account. You will first be prompted to log in with your username (or email address) and password (or if you have forgotten this you can request a new temporary password). If your membership has lapsed, please proceed as in the previous paragraph to re-join for 1- or 3-years and follow the renewal instructions. If you experience any difficulty please email subscriptions@ukbgf.com for assistance.

UKBGF Membership Fees

Membership Level	Youth (Under 26)*	Student**	Adult (26 & over)
1-year	Free	Free	£25
3-year	N/A	N/A	£60
Life Member	N/A	N/A	£150-£500***

* Free Youth membership (for those under 26 years old) applies to UK residents only.
** Free student membership applies to any UK national in full-time education, or to a student from overseas living in the UK while studying here.  Students under 26 may use the link for Youth member applications.
*** The cost of Life membership is £500 for any player under 60.  At age 60 the cost drops to £350 and is further reduced, by £20 for each additional complete year of age, to £150 for those aged 70 and above. If you are 60 or over, proof of age will be required before your Life membership is confirmed.

For Student, Youth, or Life membership applications please use the appropriate link at the foot of this page.

All other prospective members should click here, select 1- or 3-year membership, and complete the online form, including payment details using a credit or debit card.  During this secure automated process, no payment card data is accessible to the UKBGF.  All automated membership fee payments are processed by Stripe, and card details are encrypted when entering their payment gateway. After joining, only your card type (e.g. VISA), the last 4 digits of the card number, and the card expiry date, are accessible to authorised UKBGF officers via our Stripe account.  Other personal data provided by members through the online join form (including full name, post code, email address and, optionally, your phone number) will be held by the UKBGF to manage your membership in accordance with our Data Privacy and Protection Policy.

You may select either a one-year subscription membership for £25, or three years for £60.  If you select one year, a recurring payment mandate will be set up for ease of renewal.  This saves time and effort, both for you and for the UKBGF, and can be cancelled at any time without notice.  If you forget to cancel before the payment goes through, you may still email subscriptions@ukbgf.com to cancel your membership and request a refund (within a reasonable timescale). Three-year membership requires a one-off payment of £60 without a recurring payment mandate. One week before their membership expires, a three-year member will receive an automated reminder email to renew.

When the application process is completed, your membership number will be allocated and you will have access to the Members’ Area of the website using your chosen password. You will also be eligible for all the member benefits listed below (subject to confirmation of your membership by the UKBGF Board).

Players were originally invited to become UKBGF members in April 2015 and one of the objectives set by the first elected Board (which can be found here on the blog) was to have at least 250 members by the end of 2016. This number was attained ahead of schedule, and has increased every year since launch.  By February 2026 there were over 1000 current members.

Welcome to the club!

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• UKBGF Membership Benefits

Benefits which apply to all members include:

1. 1. • 10% discount off ALL ArtGammon products, including boards, during. Mention that you are a UKBGF member when contacting them.
      • The right to vote and stand as a candidate in future UKBGF Board (or other) elections;
      • Access to non-public areas of the UKBGF website including UKBGF Accounts and Papers;
      • Access to all material on the UKBGF website. As well as tournament blogs and round-ups, this includes analysed matches between top players from the UK and abroad, articles on backgammon theory, instructional videos, and more;
      • Matches played in UKBGF affiliated clubs and live events are included in the UKBGF National Ratings System. Members appear in bold in the official UK player ratings list;
      • Matches played in UKBGF affiliated online events are included in the UKBGF National Online Ratings System. Members appear in bold in the official UK online ratings list;
      • Eligibility to play in the UKBGF Online League and Knockout, sponsored by ArtGammon, and eligibility to win prizes in these events;
      • Eligibility to play in the annual UKBGF Backgammon Hub National Online Championships;
      • Eligibility to enter other member-only events organised from time to time;
      • Eligibility to receive UKBGF Tour points for every Tour event entered – the top 16 of both UKBGF Live Tours – Masters and Intermediate – will receive free entry, including accommodation, to the annual Tour Winners Invitational tournament;
      • Eligibility for selection by UK Team Captains (online and live) to represent the UK in International Team Championships (subject to fulfilling appropriate selection criteria);
      • Eligibility to enrol for UKBGF’s accreditation scheme for backgammon organisers, leading to certification as an Accredited Organiser (AO) and access to an online forum for ongoing support.
      • Reduced registration fees, or other member bonuses, at the UKBGF Clubs Championship and at various other tournaments, some of which are on the UKBGF Tour;
      • Eligibility to win added prizes, including backgammon boards, at some UKBGF or affiliated events;
      • A discount of 10% off any order placed with KATGAMMON (excludes boards and precision dice). Mention that you are a UKBGF member when asking for a quote.
      • A discount of 5% off any backgammon board order placed with Gammoner boards. Mention that you are a UKBGF member when asking for a quote:  US;  Europe
      • Premium membership upgrade on Backgammon Studio Heroes discounted from $30 to $25 per year – the upgrade page for UKBGF members is here;
      • A discount of 20% off the cost of eXtremeGammon analysis software (first activation only). Note that you may download XG for a free trial period of 14 days with all features enabled before deciding whether or not to buy. When you are convinced that you need to keep this essential learning tool permanently you can still get the 20% discount by using an activation code purchased from UKBGF. Just email contact@ukbgf.com for payment instructions.
      • Update emails, and other important notifications, are circulated to all members (except those who choose to opt out) from time to time, providing news and information about events and opportunities for players.

• UKBGF Founder and Life Members

All Founder and Life members of the UKBGF will enjoy all the benefits of membership listed above, plus any benefits which may be added subsequently, for their lifetime with no further subscription payments ever becoming due. The cost of life membership depends on your age as detailed in the above table of membership fees. If you wish to join as a Life Member of the UKBGF, or to upgrade from one-year or three-year membership, please email subscriptions@ukbgf.com. Please do not try to use the online ‘Join’ form which cannot be used for life membership applications.

There are four Founder Members of the UKBGF and this special membership category is no longer available. In addition to all the benefits listed above, founder members received:

1. 1. • Lifetime membership
      • A specially embossed UKBGF Doubling Cube
      • A series of free lessons from some of the UK’s best players

• UKBGF Member No.1

The unique opportunity to become the very first member of the United Kingdom Backgammon Federation was sold to the highest bidder at the annual Charity Backgammon and Bridge tournament held at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London, on Sunday 22nd March 2015. Scope received all the money raised at this event, including all auction proceeds, to fund its essential work helping people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
James Ramsey placed the winning bid of £1700 and is therefore UKBGF Member No.001. This winning bid qualified James for lifetime founder membership of the UKBGF – congratulations James!

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Further benefits for all members will be added over time.

When you are ready to join the UKBGF, please select the appropriate link below:

• Click HERE for either 3-year membership, or a 1-year subscription membership (with an annual recurring payment mandate).  A credit or debit card is required to make a secure online payment in either case.
• Click HERE for free Youth membership (you must be a UK resident aged under 26). Once you are a member, you will be prompted to re-join as a paying member when you reach your 26th birthday.
• Email subscriptions@ukbgf.com to apply for, or enquire about, Life membership or Student membership.  Please state your age in your email.
• Please note that for all membership categories, personal data including full name, post code, email address and, optionally, phone number(s) will be held by the UKBGF to manage memberships in accordance with our Data Privacy and Protection Policy.