Grosvenor Bingo
| Industry | Gambling |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970 |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 53 |
| 6,349 | |
| Parent | The Rank Group |
| Website | grosvenorcasinos.com |
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Established in 1970,[1]Grosvenor Casinos (formerly County Clubs and Grosvenor Clubs) is a UK-based chain of 53 casinos located in major towns and cities across the UK, with two unbranded sister casinos located in Belgium. Grosvenor Casinos is owned by The Rank Group who operate exclusively in the casino, bingo and online gaming industries across Belgium, Spain and the UK.
Grosvenor is part of a UK chain of casinos with the same name. The casino’s high-end positioning and modern outlook on gaming technologies is the main selling point of this operator. About Grosvenor Casino. Owned by Rank Group, Grosvenor Casinos has been an established land-based casino brand since the 1970s. Grosvenor Casinos belongs to one of the biggest land based casino operators in the UK. It is in fact a brand of The Rank Group PLC, a company quoted on the London stock exchange and whose headquarters are located in Maidenhead. The Rank Group also holds other brands such as Mecca Bingo, Rank Interactive and Enracha (for the Spanish market). Grosvenor Casinos belongs to one of the biggest land based casino operators in the UK. It is in fact a brand of The Rank Group PLC, a company quoted on the London stock exchange and whose headquarters are located in Maidenhead. The Rank Group also holds other brands such as Mecca Bingo, Rank Interactive and Enracha (for the Spanish market). Grosvenor Casinos The UK’s largest multi-channel casino operator. The brand offers a range of popular casino table games, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker as well as electronic roulette and slot machine games. The digital channel continues to gain scale and offers many popular games including its very popular live casino.
As of June 2014, revenue was reported at £391.2m, with an operating profit of £56.8m - coming from a total of over 1.7 million customers per year.[2] Of these 1.7 million customers, over 8.5 million customer visits occur every year. The Grosvenor casino network currently employs over 6,300 employees across the UK. Their online casino hosts over 250 games with themes spanning from traditional roulette, blackjack and poker - to the more modern slot styles and live gaming. Grosvenor are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.[3]
Originally ‘County Clubs’, the casinos came to be known as ‘Grosvenor Clubs’ and in 1969 on 2 January, Grosvenor Clubs officially changed name to ‘Grosvenor Casinos’.
Grosvenor Casinos is currently the shirt sponsor for Fulham F.C. Grosvenor signed a deal to become the London club's main team partner in July 2017.
History[edit]
Acquisition of the Ricoh Arena casino[edit]
In April 2009 Grosvenor purchased the casino inside the Ricoh Arena complex in Coventry for £650,000.[4]
Leaving the British Casino Association[edit]
During 2009, Grosvenor Casinos announced they were leaving the now defunct British Casino Association (BCA). The BCA existed to promote casino best practice and influence UK government legislation surrounding gambling. Reportedly the BCA began to fail in promoting and improving the casino industry, and once annual membership fees were raised to £140,000, it saw the departure of Grosvenor, just as the large Gala Coral Group had withdrawn in October 2008.[5]
Loyalty card scheme[edit]
In May 2012, the first roll out of a new plastic card service in Grosvenor Casinos was implemented with ‘Grosvenor Play Points’ entering 35 casinos across the UK. This came as a result of the Grosvenor Casinos and Play Points brands merging to create one loyalty card.[6]
Gala takeover[edit]
Grosvenor Casinos completed their takeover of 19 casinos from the Gala Coral Group across the UK on 12 May 2013 [7] making them the largest casino network in the UK. A similar deal to acquire 23 casinos from Gala had previously stalled in 2012 due to a decision by the Competition Commission and OFT.[8] The revised deal in 2013 saw 4 casinos removed from the agreement.
Redtooth partnership[edit]
On 28 April 2014, Grosvenor Casinos announced a two-year partnership with the world's largest live pub poker tournament group Redtooth Poker. Grosvenor Casinos hosted the regional and national UK finals and online events. The move integrated Redtooth Poker and Grosvenor's own poker tournament, the Grosvenor UK Poker Tournament (GUKPT).[9]
Live events[edit]
On 25 March 2011, Grosvenor Casinos announced they were to host new poker event called the Goliath. Designed to attract up to 1,500 players, the Goliath had an initial buy-in at £100 + £20 and offered a guaranteed prize pool of £100,000, with 25% of the registration fee going to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.[10] The most recent Goliath event in 2014 became the largest poker tournament ever held outside of the US with a total of 3,394 players entering.[11] For the 2015 event Grosvenor estimate over 4,000 participants will enter.[12]
Grosvenor employees also played the highest poker tournament on record at the top of Mount Snowdon in September 2011. The 3,500 ft. stunt was attempted to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity, with a total of £11,000 being collected.[13]
Controversy[edit]
In December 2006 staff walked out of four Grosvenor Casinos in London in a dispute over pay increases.[14] A month later, around 300 workers went on strike over the same ongoing dispute.[15]
In September 2014 Northern Ireland's Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland, dismissed the idea that a Grosvenor Casino could open due to the ongoing ban on casinos.[16]
Technology[edit]
In November 2011, Grosvenor installed software that would spot cheating at roulette tables. Developed by Ipsotek, the software detects a cheat called 'top-hatting', as well as detecting cheating after 'last bets' has been called. The software is linked to CCTV cameras monitoring the table at all times.[17]
In October 2012, Grosvenor introduced a new product to the casino industry, Pinball Roulette machines. The new machine offers single player roulette game and the ball is launched by a pinball-style trigger into the wheel. The main feature of the product is that it offered the player control over when they wished to spin the ball. Thirty of the machines, developed by Austrian Gaming Industries, were installed at 22 clubs across the UK.[18]
During November 2013, Evolution Gaming joined Grosvenor Casinos to create a ‘Live Casino’ targeting players on their online casino.[19] The games include blackjack, roulette and baccarat and are available 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. The live game system is designed to produce an environment more closely matching a real casino experience.
In July 2013, Grosvenor Casinos in London, Reading and Coventry created the world's first multi-site cloud casino experience called the IGT Cloud. The new technology offers analytical reporting tools which offer insight into product performance on a game-by-game basis. Operators can remotely change the games on the floor to provide a more customized gambling experience.[20]
Grosvenor Casinos partnered with Tensator in 2014 to create virtual casino hosts. The Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra stands 50 cm x 50 cm and replicates a live game in real time. The assistant also offers a range of information for players and other frequently asked questions.[21]
In February 2014, The Rank Group and Grosvenor Casinos joined with Jumio to use their Netverify solution. This was integrated into the casino's online database and is designed to provide customers with a more efficient identification procedure. Customers are required to scan their passport or driving license via their device camera, and Netverify then authenticates it using a range of security features.[22]
In November 2016 Grosvenor Casinos has confirmed the launch of new sports betting offering for its online and land-based players.[23]
Grosvenor awarded TCS John Huxley a new 3-year deal to service and maintain their gaming equipment across the UK, starting February 2015.[24]
Awards[edit]
International Gaming Awards[edit]
Grosvenor and Rank were awarded the 'Casino Operator of the Year' award at the 2013 International Gaming Awards.[25] Rank Group were awarded the 'Socially Responsible Operator of the Year Land Based' award in 2014 and 2015.[26][27]
Women in Gaming Awards[edit]
Grosvenor Casinos’ HR team were awarded Team of the Year at the Women in Gaming independent annual awards in June 2012. The team, led by Fiona Regan Head of HR, were awarded for their successful Hearts and Minds initiative, which focused on internal and employee recognition.[28]
In 2014 they won the same award whilst also picking up the Inspiration of the Year award.[29]
References[edit]
- ^'Rank - Grosvenor Casinos'. Rank.com.
- ^'Rank - Grosvenor Casinos'. Rank.com.
- ^'Gambling Commission'. Gambling Commission.
- ^'Sold Ricoh casino in £1m revamp'. BBC News.
- ^'Casino operator's withdrawal leaves trade body floundering'. Financial Times.
- ^'Grosvenor Casinos places bet on Plastic Card Services'.
- ^'Mecca Bingo owner Rank buys Gala casinos for £205m'. BBC News.
- ^'Rank takeover of Gala sent to Competition Commission - BBC News'.
- ^'Redtooth wins at Grosvenor Casino'. The Star.
- ^'1,500 Runner Grosvenor Goliath Announced in Coventry'. UK Poker News.
- ^'World poker: Goliath smashes record for biggest poker tournament held outside US'. The Mirror.
- ^'Goliath Poker Tournament 2015'. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^'Stakes are high for Snowdon poker'. Wales Online.
- ^'Casino staff to strike in row over pay deal'. The Guardian.
- ^'Casino staff walk out over pay'. BBC News.
- ^'Nelson McCausland says casino ban will not be removed'. BBC News.
- ^'Casino cheats snared by smart camera system'. New Scientist.
- ^'G Casinos get pinball roulette'. InterGame.
- ^'UK – Evolution doubles Grosvenor's online live dealer offer'. G3.
- ^'Grosvenor Casinos to manage gaming machines from the cloud'. TechWorld.com.
- ^'Tensator's Virtual Assistant proves safe bet for Grosvenor Casinos'. Tensator.
- ^'Rank identify Jumio as new partners'. SBC News.
- ^'Grosvenor Casinos launches new sportsbook with Kambi'. SBC News. 16 November 2016.
- ^'Grosvenor contract for TCS John Huxley'. SBCnews. Luke Massey InterGame.
- ^'IGA Winners 2013'. Gaming-Awards.com.
- ^'IGA Winners 2014'. Gaming-Awards.com.
- ^'IGA Winners 2015'. Gaming-Awards.com.
- ^'Grosvenor Casinos HR team wins prestigious award'. InterGame.
- ^'WIG Winners 2014'. Gaming-Awards.com.
If you believe that you have a problem with gambling, or just think you should take an enforced break from doing so, our land-based premises and online gaming sites all offer the option to “self-exclude” yourself.
If you exclude yourself from a Mecca Bingo club, you will automatically be enrolled in the national scheme and will be excluded from all bingo clubs in the UK.
If you exclude yourself from a Grosvenor Casino, you will be enrolled in the national scheme SENSE (Self-Enrolment, National Self-Exclusion), unless you request otherwise, and will be excluded from all casinos in the UK.
Exclusion from the online or mobile sites applies to all sites operated by Mecca Bingo or Grosvenor Casinos. You can also elect just to take a short break for a period of your choice as explained below.
You are strongly advised to also exclude yourself from any other gambling premises or websites where you otherwise play or bet, as we are unable to pass on your request to other companies. If you want to prevent access to all online gambling licensed in Great Britain, we recommend that you register at www.gamstop.co.uk. Gamstop is the national online self-exclusion database for online gambling.
If you do feel that you have a gambling problem, self-exclusion is advisable but should be used in conjunction with other self-help measures, such as seeking help and guidance from www.gamcare.org.uk or other support agencies listed here.
Please be aware that it is ultimately your own responsibility to uphold a self-exclusion but we will make every effort to stop you playing on the specific on line account, or from entering a Mecca or Grosvenor land-based business, from which you have excluded. However, should you manage to enter one of our Mecca or Grosvenor premises by whatever means, or open a new online account by using different personal details of any kind, we will not be responsible for any losses you may subsequently incur as a result of your circumventing the self-exclusion process. We may also withhold winnings in certain cases.
We also strongly recommend that you “unfriend” and / or “un-follow” yourself from any Facebook, Twitter or other social networking accounts that you may be linked to for land-based Grosvenor, Mecca or other gambling operations. Due to the nature of these sites, which are not linked to our membership data bases, it is not otherwise possible to prevent you from receiving or seeing gaming related messages that may be issued to friends or followers.
When excluding at a Mecca Bingo or Grosvenor Casinos premises, you may also ask to exclude yourself from our online gaming sites, being bingo, casino and poker sites operated under the Mecca or Grosvenor Casinos brand names.
If you exclude yourself from online gaming you will similarly be advised how you can exclude from either or both of our land-based bingo and casino businesses via the national schemes.
Self-exclusion will normally be implemented within twenty four hours but you should allow up to a week for a national self-exclusion to be applied to other operators. Once you have self-excluded, you may not apply to re-instate your membership or online account for at least six months.
We will not send you any marketing material inviting you to gamble whilst you are self-excluded. Any funds that you held on deposit at the time of self-exclusion will be refunded to you accordingly. Please note that it may take up to fourteen days for your name to be removed from our marketing databases.
Self-exclusion across the UK bingo industry, including Mecca Bingo land-based premises
The Bingo Association, which represents the vast majority of bingo operators in the UK, has introduced a national scheme to enable a customer to self-exclude from every UK bingo club with just one request.
If you wish to self-exclude from Mecca Bingo (or from any other land-based bingo operator), just visit your local Mecca club where a trained member of staff will be able explain the national scheme. To join the scheme you will be asked to complete a self-exclusion form and have your photograph taken. Please be assured that no personal information will be shared with other operators other than the basic details entered into the national database at the time of registration to ensure that other operators can use it to exclude you from their own bingo clubs. The Bingo Association or its members does not share or sell personal data to third parties.
Alternatively if you do not wish to visit a licensed club, you can request self-exclusion by following the process detailed on the Bingo Association website.
The minimum period of self-exclusion you can request is six months, and your exclusion will automatically remain in force for a further period of six months at which time it will then lapse. However, you may apply for reinstatement at any time during the six months following your stated exclusion period. In some cases Mecca may additionally and independently ask you to apply for reinstatement even when your national self-exclusion has lapsed.
Self-exclusion across the UK casino industry, including Grosvenor Casinos’ land-based premises
The UK casino industry has combined to create a national scheme called SENSE (Self-Enrolment, National Self-Exclusion) to self-exclude a customer from every UK casino with just one request.
It is a simple process to join SENSE – just ask at any Grosvenor casino reception about SENSE and you will then need to speak briefly to a manager who will register you onto the SENSE national database electronically. Please be assured that no personal information will be shared with other operators other than the basic details entered into the SENSE database at the time of registration (name, address, date of birth and a photo) to ensure that other operators can use it to exclude you from their own casinos. SENSE does not share information with other organisations or financial institutions.
Alternatively you can download a SENSE enrolment form, which you can then email to informationcentre@rank.com together with a recent head and shoulders photograph (in jpeg format). Please ensure that you complete all sections of the form and it is signed and dated on both pages. A leaflet is also available giving full details of the SENSE scheme, including the terms and conditions.
A SENSE national self-exclusion cannot be removed for at least six months, after which time you may apply to do so at any casino. Having been removed from the SENSE database, you would then need to apply for re-instatement at Grosvenor Casinos and / or whichever casinos you then wanted to visit.
To find out more information about the SENSE scheme please visit the National Casino Forum.
If you wish to self-exclude only from land-based Grosvenor Casinos’ premises you can do this by asking for a form at your local casino. The completed form should then be handed to a member of the team (preferably at reception). Alternatively, you can download the self-exclusion form and hand this to reception at your local Grosvenor Casino. A minimum period of six months exclusion equally applies. However, we strongly recommend that you enrol in SENSE, the national scheme.
Self-exclusion from online gaming sites operated by Mecca Bingo or Grosvenor Casinos
It is also very simple to self-exclude yourself from our online betting, casino, poker or bingo sites. We offer periods of self-exclusion from six months to five years. You can use the automated feature in the Responsible Gaming section of My Account. Alternatively you may call, email or write to our customer service desk on the numbers below. Please provide your full name and address, date of birth, your membership number. If you are sending your details by email, please do so from the address associated with your account to avoid any confusion.
Ways to exclude
Meccabingo.com:
Telephone
- from the UK: 0800 083 1988
- from abroad: +44 800 083 1988
Post
- Customer Services, Mecca Bingo, TOR, Saint-Cloud Way, Maidenhead SL6 8BN
Grosvenorcasinos.com
Telephone
- From the UK: 0800 083 1990
- From abroad: +44 800 083 1990
Post
- Customer Services, Grosvenor Casinos, TOR, Saint-Cloud Way, Maidenhead SL6 8BN
If you would like to prevent access to other online gaming, sports betting or gambling sites, visit www.gamblock.com, which can block access to gambling sites across the internet and prevent unrestricted gambling online.
Grosvenor Boys High School
Take a break (online only)
If you would like to take a temporary break from gambling on-line, you can choose a break period from 1 day up to 6 weeks. You can use the automated Take a Break feature in the Responsible Gaming section of My Account.
If you wish to take a break for a different length of time, please contact Customer Support and a member of our team will be able to help you. By choosing to take a break, you will not be able to access your account and you will be prevented from gambling until your break period has finished. Once you have confirmed that you wish to take a break, we will be unable to reverse this process. You may extend your break period at any time by contacting our Customer Support Team.
Grosvenor Boys High
Your break will end automatically once the selected time period has passed and your account will be re-opened at this time.
Opt-in to self-exclude from other forms of gambling
Grosvenor Bingo Store
If you decide to self-exclude from our businesses, we strongly advise that you also exclude yourself from all other forms of gambling that you may use.
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Grosvenor Bingo Rules
Unfortunately, whilst we help you to join the bingo or casino industries national self-exclusion schemes, we cannot do so for other forms of gambling (i.e. bookmakers, arcades and the online industry). However, other than the online sector, these sectors also operate their own industry-wide schemes.
You can quickly find details of how to join their schemes via the Opt-in to Self-Exclude website
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Last updated 04/11/2019