The UK government’s recently drafted gambling reforms allow land-based operators to increase the number of slot machines. Berkshire-based gambling operator Rank Group Plc has expressed the desire to step up its game across all gambling venues in the country.
Highlights from the Story
- The Keir Starmer-led government announced key reforms to existing land-based casino regulations on May 12, 2025.
- The updated regulations will enable brick-and-mortar casinos across England and Wales to increase the number of slot machines that they currently operate.
- The Rank Group will add 882 gaming machines across the 51 Grosvenor Casinos venues that it operates.
New Gambling Machine Limits are Subject to Available Floor Space
The updated draft proposal, which has been in the pipeline for quite some time now, was finally published on May 12, 2025. The reforms enable land-based casino operators to increase the number of gambling machines, provided they meet the floor space requirements.
The Department of Culture, Media, and Sports (DCMS) submitted the draft proposal for the Casino Regulations (Gaming Machines and Mandatory Conditions) to the UK Parliament this week. If the reforms pass both houses of the Parliament, the law could be implemented as early as July 22, 2025.
The DCMS draft includes several interlined statutes that could prove beneficial for the UK’s gambling industry. The regulations cover a range of topics, from casino size and gaming floor area to the number of betting positions as per the floor size. This reform will increase the number of gaming machines allowed on specific floor areas.
For example, casinos can now set up 28 machines on a floor space between 380 and 400 square meters. The draft also increases the maximum number of machines at a venue to 40 within a 500 square meter area.
Additionally, the draft mandates that casino areas are not to exceed 1,500 square meters. If a casino is already operating on 1,500 square meters as of May 12, 2025, it cannot expand operations any further.
Rank Group Welcomes Gambling Reforms
Following the reform, Rank Group Plc announced its plans to add 882 gaming machines across its UK Grosvenor Casinos venues. The Rank Group operates 51 Grosvenor Casinos venues where it offers slot machines, table games, and electronic roulette.
In Wednesday’s investor update, Rank announced its plans to increase the number of gaming machines to 3,112 once the law has been reformed. The company currently operates 1,337 gaming machines across its 51 venues.
The operator also expressed their desire to engage with Scottish government officials to increase the number of gaming machines in the country. In an interview last year, Rank Group’s CEO John O’Reilly said the company was in a good position to capitalise on the land-based gambling reforms outlined in the white paper. O’Reilly stated:
We are strategically placed to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the UK government’s proposed land-based regulatory reforms, which will hopefully clear all Parliamentary proceedings in the coming session.
Grosvenor Casinos were Rank’s primary source of revenue in Q1 2025. The casinos generated £90.4 million combined out of the £195.6 million that Rank Group generated during this quarter. The company recorded a 14.5% jump in table game revenue and a 9.5% spike in electronic roulette revenue, which boosted overall figures.