John O’Reilly, CEO of The Rank Group, has backed the land-based casino regulatory framework drafted in the UK by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), describing it as “very good news” for the operator.
Rank Group has stated that it will “add 882 gaming machines” to the 1,367 machines currently present across its Grosvenor Casinos venues over the coming months, subject to completion of variation applications for casino licences.
This comes in response to the drafted regulations published by the DCMS earlier this week, which propose establishing limits on the number of gaming machines that converted casino premises can have per square metre of minimum gambling area.
The statutory instrument is set to allow converted casino premises in England and Wales to operate up to 80 Category B, C, or D machines, so long as they have a gambling floor area no less than 280m², the number of gaming machines “is not more than five times the number of gaming tables used in the casino” and “not more than 80”.
O’Reilly called the publication of the statutory instruments “very good news” for Rank.
“The modernisations will enable us to improve the Grosvenor customer proposition, helping to grow jobs and generating investment in local communities,” said the CEO.
“We have a detailed roadmap of investments which we will now accelerate as we begin to roll out these reforms over the coming months.”
Multi-year plan pencilled in
Published by the DCMS earlier this week, the drafted regulations – The Casinos (Gaming Machines and Mandatory Conditions) Regulations 2025 – will be part of an interlinked statutory instrument that will adjust land-based casino regulation.
Two linked statutory instruments were also published to allow for scrutiny, and these recommendations are separate from the Gambling Review’s White Paper published in 2023.
Alongside establishing limits on the number of gaming machines that converted casino premises can have per square metre of minimum gambling area, the drafted regulations also proposed allowing casinos to accept sports betting wagers, as well as changes to the licensing framework for designating table gaming areas on casino premises plans.
Rank has stated that it will integrate additional gaming machines across its establishments as part of a multi-year plan, in addition to engaging “with government officials in Scotland as we work towards ensuring that our Scottish casinos can also benefit from the reforms at the earliest opportunity”.
“The total opportunity within our current estate is 3,112 machines, requiring investment in our casinos that we would expect to gradually complete over the next two to three years,” added the group.
Currently, the scheduled date to bring these changes into force is 22 July 2025, but since the regulatory framework is in the draft stage, this is subject to change. Still, Rank Group praised the update.
The operator said: “Very positively, the statutory instruments identify 22 July as the date on which the increase to the number of gaming machines and the opportunity to provide sports betting will be permitted in casinos in England and Wales.”
Rank will publish its preliminary results for the 12 months ending 30 June 2025 on 14 August.
