Phil Urban, managing director, Grosvenor Casinos.
PHIL Urban is the managing director of Grosvenor Casinos, the casino arm of the Rank Group, which is about to become the UK’s largest operator with the purchase of 19 venues from Gala.
The acquisition means that Rank will overtake Genting UK as the country’s largest casino operator. The deal was a long time coming, with talks between Rank and Gala beginning towards the end of 2011.
“With the acquisition of the 19 Gala Casinos we become the UK’s biggest casino company by number as well as value,” Urban told InterGaming. “This gives us the national platform to build the Grosvenor brand.
“At the same time we need to develop our digital channels so that the customer can access Grosvenor and get a consistent experience, through whichever channel they choose to use.
“In five years’ time I hope that we will have established Grosvenor Casinos as a nationally recognised brand and a key player in the UK leisure market. We will also have leading digital offers where customers can access Grosvenor Casinos and receive a consistent and joined-up experience and be welcomed as part of the Grosvenor family.”
Before joining Rank and Grosvenor Casinos in 2008, 48-year-old Manchester United fan Urban was involved in the wider leisure industry with Whitbread, as managing director of Whitbread Restaurants, and Scottish and Newcastle Retail, as managing director of restaurants and accommodation.
Read the full article in the May issue of InterGaming.
