The UK gaming industry has seen a period of relative quiet since the trials and tribulations of the Gambling Bill. Business continues much as usual throughout the country’s gaming establishments, and would seem set to continue to do so until the Gambling Act 2005 comes into force probably in September 2007. Some local councils and gaming operators are still hopeful that they will be successful in the bid for Britain’s first mega casino, but that is still in the uncertain future.

Cardiff Council has already chosen the Aspinall Packer Group to run the casino at its proposed £700 million sports village in the Cardiff Bay area of the city. The complex will include two luxury hotels and is expected to create 1,500 permanent jobs. Aspers is now to join Cardiff Council and Orion, the developers, in a campaign to win the UK’s first regional casino.

Stanley Casino workers are to be balloted once again by the GMB Union. They previously voted overwhelmingly to support possible industrial action if a 3.2% pay offer was not improved. They are now to be asked to vote on a union-recommended offer of 3.5% or £600 per annum, whichever is the greater. The lowest paid workers would receive 5.8%. The ballot result at Stanley’s 41 casinos will be known 11 July.

The Gala Group has 28 UK casinos and 166 bingo clubs, and is rumoured to be considering listing on the London Stock Exchange. It has now made its largest investment so far for a bingo site and paid £18 million for New Generation Bingo, which owns and operates Basingstoke’s Club 2000 that last year had around 250,000 players. On 23 May Gala launched its online bingo site offering linked jackpots.

Last Friday the Rank Group Plc announced its intention of delisting from NASDAQ and amending its Articles of Association to allow it to require US holders of ordinary shares to transfer them, in order to enable the company to terminate its registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Rank cites the costs of maintaining registration and complying with other US obligations, and says they are out of proportion to the benefits obtained.

The PokerGaming IPO has been headline news and online gaming operators are increasingly becoming companies worthy of attention. PokerGaming is now valued at more than many of the large established companies in the FTSE 100. The gaming industry continues to change and develop, and still come up with the occasional surprise. (E-07.05.05)

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