UK casino operator Rank readies retail sports betting following legal changes

Casino operator Rank Group is preparing to introduce retail sports betting across its UK casino properties beginning in September, following the passage of new land-based gambling regulations on July 22.

The legislative changes, approved by the UK Parliament, allow casinos to install self-service betting terminals (SSBTs) and expand the number of gaming machines permitted on-site.

The reforms are part of the UK government’s initiative to update land-based gambling operations under the 2023 white paper led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The new rules allow casinos to offer betting services directly, a shift from the prior regulation that only allowed in-venue bets via mobile devices.

New rules allow betting inside casinos

Previously, casinos licensed under older laws were not authorized to provide betting products, even though customers could place bets using mobile apps inside the venue. The new regulation removes the prohibition on betting for casinos that were not licensed under the 2005 Gambling Act.

“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,” Baroness Fiona Twycross, Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, said during a House of Lords session in June.

“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,” she added.

Under the new rules, licensed properties may now install up to 80 gaming machines, subject to two criteria: the gambling area must measure at least 280 square meters, and the number of machines must not exceed five times the number of gaming tables used in the venue.

Rank outlines operational timeline

Rank’s Grosvenor Casinos Managing Director Mark Harper said applications to install SSBTs and additional machines are under review, and the Gambling Commission is expected to begin issuing approvals by September.

Harper told iGB: “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 said the ability to offer in-house betting provides a way for venues to compete with the growing threat posed by Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs).

Reforms drive Rank’s casino investment

Rank Group, which owns Grosvenor Casinos, has already made infrastructure adjustments in response to the regulatory changes. In 2024, the company carried out seven major upgrades across its UK casino properties and plans to update six more locations by year-end.

“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,” Harper said. “We’re using that at the same time as a way of modernising and creating warm, welcoming, compelling, exciting environments.”

Harper called the regulatory shift “transformational” for the casino industry and described Grosvenor’s large venues as positioned to implement the changes effectively. “I think we are particularly well placed because of our scale, because of our locations, because of our square footage within our venues,” he said.

The DCMS released its plans to revise land-based gambling regulations in May 2023. The reforms, including provisions for gaming machine limits and in-casino betting, passed through both houses of Parliament in June before being enacted in July.

According to Harper, Rank anticipates license approvals by late August, with operations scheduled to begin in September.