On 22 July, the UK parliament passed long-awaited reforms aimed at modernising the land-based gambling industry.
Land-based reforms were passed into law by the UK parliament in July and executives at casino operator Rank expect betting terminals and additional gaming machines to be installed by September.
Rank is expecting to launch retail sports betting across its casino portfolio in the UK from September, after new regulations were passed into law on 22 July.
Mark Harper, MD of Rank Group’s Grosvenor Casinos, tells iGB the opportunity to offer betting to casino customers will drive customer acquisition efforts and enable its venues to compete against the growing threat of Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs).
The government passed into law a number of land-based casino reforms, including increasing the number of gaming machines within a venue and enabling casinos to offer betting via SSBTs.
Harper says applications are currently under review and the Gambling Commission is expected to start approving those by September.
Betting now allowed in UK casinos
Previously, bettors could place a bet on their mobile phone while in a casino, but not via an SSBT within the actual venue itself.
While the number of terminals will be limited according to the size of the gambling area, Minister for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Baroness Fiona Twycross told the House of Lords in June that new regulations would broaden the scope for investment by casinos.
“The current regulatory framework prohibits these casinos from offering betting products, whereas venues licensed under the 2005 Act can do so. The prohibition makes little sense, as a casino customer can place a bet on their mobile phone while in the venue but not with the casino itself,” Twycross said during a debate on the amendment.
“This change will allow converted casinos not only to offer a new gambling product but to invest in other parts of their venues, such as sports bars.”
Additionally, under land-based reforms, licensed converted casino premises can install up to 80 gaming machines, provided the gambling area is no smaller than 280sqm and the number of machines doesn’t exceed five times the number of gaming tables used in the casino.
Land-based reforms ‘transformational’ for Grosvenor
Harper believes the land-based reforms will prove “transformational” for the UK casino sector and Grosvenor is well positioned to capitalise.
“I think we are particularly well placed because of our scale, because of our locations, because of our square footage within our venues,” Harper tells iGB.
“We will be able to maximise the opportunity of increased slots to satisfy customer demand at the same time as we will introduce sports betting, which will widen the appeal of casinos. That has triggered investment within our business during the last 12 months.”
The timeline of land-based casino reform in the UK
The DCMS set out to modernise UK gambling regulation in its 2023 white paper, with a number of proposals specifically centred on the land-based sector.
Changes to increase the number of gaming machines and allow betting in casinos were published in May, with the regulations passed by both parliamentary houses in June, before their 22 July implementation.
Harper expects licences to be granted towards the end of August, with Rank then planning to roll out additional slots and SSBTS from September onwards.
“We would anticipate an immediate uplift in revenue as a result of those extra slots, because for the first time, customers will actually be able to get onto a slot machine on a Saturday night, as well as broadening the appeal through sports betting,” Harper says of the benefit of land-based reforms.
Land-based reforms spark heavy Rank investment
Rank made seven significant upgrades to its casinos in 2024, with a further six venues to receive similar investment this year.
“We are investing a lot of money and that is on the basis that land-based reform provides the catalyst to satisfy customer demand and broaden the appeal of casinos,” says Harper.
“We’re using that at the same time as a way of modernising and creating warm, welcoming, compelling, exciting environments.”