Despite the challenging economic climate, Grosvenor Casinos managing director Phil Urban believes the UK casino industry is uniquely placed within the leisure and entertainment sector.

Grosvenor Casinos, which is the UK’s second largest casino operator, is planning to increase its estate of UK casino properties to 45 by 2015.

Urban said he was “optimistic” in the face of a very tough economic backdrop, particularly as a growing number of people are discovering casino gaming.

“We are in the leisure industry and I think casinos have such a strong unique selling point versus other leisure offers, in terms of the thrill and entertainment we can provide,” he said. “More and more UK adults are sampling a casino experience for the first time in ours and our competitors’ clubs, and of course, at the same time they instantly disabuse themselves of any misconceptions they had about what casinos are all about.

“If we continue to improve the experience these customers have and focus on the hospitality we provide to all our customers, I see no reason why the future shouldn’t be positive for the industry. Of course, we have to keep one eye on regulation and legislation, which can work against as well as for the industry, but I am positive about the underlying prospects.”

At ICE, operators have the chance to see the latest innovations and new products that are in the pipeline, he continued.“As a visitor it is easy to get swept along by the myriad of different suppliers and different products on show, but if you go with a loose agenda of the things you want to see and the people you want to talk to, it is possible to achieve a lot in a very short space of time,” he said. “On a very personal level, I want my own thinking to be stimulated and to come away with ideas and to feel energised.”