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Rank Group is getting ready for a big expansion. The UK casino operator runs 51 Grosvenor Casinos with 1,367 machines currently.
The UK government started this ball rolling. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published draft changes on May 12.
These new rules could let Rank add another 882 machines. That would bring their total to 2,249 machines within two to three years.
CEO John O’Reilly called it a chance to boost customer experience and support local jobs. The company already has investment plans they want to speed up.
The current rules date back to the Gambling Act 2005. They’re pretty restrictive compared to how the rest of the industry works now.
Small casinos can only use two machines per gaming table right now. The new rules would bump that up to five machines per table.
The 80-machine cap per site stays in place. But operators get more room to adjust their layouts and meet customer demand.
It’s part of a bigger push to update land-based rules. The government wants to bring them closer to online standards.
Most gambling happens online these days anyway. Players expect quick payouts and smooth experiences across all platforms.
The machine ratio change is the main shift. Five machines per gaming table instead of two gives operators much more flexibility.
Rank’s share price jumped nearly 8% after the announcement. Markets clearly like what they’re seeing from the company’s growth prospects.
The group posted solid Q3 results too. Net gaming revenue rose 10.9% year-on-year, driven by high-roller activity and strategic investments.
A new statutory levy is coming alongside these changes. It’ll raise £100 million annually for research and treatment programs.
Land-based operators like Rank will pay 0.5% of gross gambling yield. Online platforms face up to 1.1% rates.
The updated rules should come into force by late July. That’s pretty quick for major regulatory changes.
New ID verification rules kick in August 30. The age threshold for ID checks rises from 21 to 25.
Test purchasing for underage access becomes mandatory too. Some operators see this as added friction, others think it’s overdue.
The changes only apply to England and Wales for now. Rank is already talking to Scottish officials about similar reforms.
The company operates Grosvenor Casino Merchant City in Glasgow plus another venue in Aberdeen. They want both under the same framework.
Companies are dealing with a patchwork of regional rules while trying to scale up. But the direction seems clear for operators with physical venues.
Financially, Rank Group has been performing well, recording a 10.9% year-on-year increase in net gaming revenue for Q3 FY2025 results.
