The Charity Commission, the independent regulator for charities in England and Wales, has launched a public consultation on how amateur sports and games can be promoted as charitable activities.

It could result in more amateur sports, recreation and games clubs being able to register as charitable trusts and qualifying them to a wide range of tax benefits.

The consultation period will end on 31 May and, according to a statement from the commission, seeks to ascertain when it is "appropriate for organisations to adopt the advancement of amateur sports or games as a charitable aim and what can be done by charities to advance that aim for the public benefit".

The consultation follows the commission's decision to allow Hitchin Bridge Club in Hertfordshire to become the first club or organisation registered with the aim of advancing amateur sport by promoting a game of mental skill or exertion.

The consultation has been initiated as the Charities Act 2006 comes into full force, which acknowledges that mental skill and/or exertion has health benefits – just like physical exertion has.

Rosie Chapman, executive director of policy and effectiveness at the Charity Commission, said: "For years, sporting activities have been used to further a wide variety of charitable aims, for example to advance the physical education of young people or to relieve disability or the effects of old age.

"Now that advancing amateur sports or games is in itself a charitable aim we want, with the help of the sector, to explore what that means. We are particularly interested in hearing views on what types of sport or game which involve mental, as opposed to physical, exertion might be capable of being charitable.

Anybody wanting to take part in the consultation can download the instructions on how to by visiting the Charity Commission website www.charitycommission.gov.uk