Grosvenor Casino to up gaming machine count after UK tables land-based gambling reforms
Rank Group says Grosvenor Casino will add 882 new gaming machines across its venues.
UK.- Rank Group has been quick of the marks after the UK government published its proposed land-based casino reforms. It’s announced that it will add 882 gaming machines at Grosvenor Casino venues.
There are 51 Grosvenor Casino venues in the UK offering casino table games, electronic roulette and gaming machines. The brand currently has 1,367 machines. In an investor update, Rank said it would increase this figure to 3,112 gaming machines in the next two to three years following the publication of the new reforms.
The industry has welcomed this week’s long-awaited publication of proposed land-based casino reforms. While the measures have yet to be signed off, many coincide with what the sector had been hoping for.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) intends to increase gaming machine entitlements, adjust the machine-to-table games ratio and allow sports betting at casinos. The reforms will also allow an expansion of electronic table games and the removal of casino membership requirements plus measures intended to simplify the licensing processes for casinos and to allow more opportunities for diversification in entertainment and hospitality.
As a revision to a transitional order of 2006, converted casinos in England and Wales would be allowed to operate up to 80 Category B, C, or D gaming machines provided that casino floors cover at least 280 square metres and that the number of gaming machines does not exceed five times the number of operational gaming tables. A tiered scaling system would link permitted machine numbers to floor area.
When more than one casino is located in the same or adjacent premises, there would be a cumulative cap, allowing no more than 80 machines across all venues. When a casino adopts the new entitlements, its previous licensing conditions on machine availability would no longer apply.
Rank Group’s share price rose by over 15 per cent on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) this week following the publication of the proposals. The operator said it would liaise with the government in Scotland with the aim of increasing the number of machines it operates there too.
