Employees at the casino were informed about the decision last month after the venue reported a loss for six consecutive years
Rank Group-owned Grosvenor Casinos confirmed it has launched a consultation over the future of its Reading Central venue, amid reports that the location could face closure.
According to local media publication The Reading Chronicle, staff at the site were told last month that Rank was considering shutting the facility. A letter to employees said “significant and sustained financial challenges” were identified during a recent review of the casino.
Also in the letter were details of the venue’s financial state. This included that revenue at the facility was £630,000 below budget and that it had made a loss in the past six years, with the total loss for the period amounting to £2.3m.
Grosvenor Casinos has now confirmed to NEXT.io that a consultation process will take place to “explore options for the long-term sustainability” of the venue. A spokesperson added that it had been a “difficult” decision and the operator would support staff moving forward.
“As part of good business practice, we regularly review the performance and long-term health of our venues to ensure we are making responsible decisions for our colleagues, customers and the wider business,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working closely with our team members in Reading Central to ensure we keep them updated and informed as we go through this process.”
Rank expects Grosvenor venues growth in FY26
The revelation comes ahead of Rank publishing its full-year results for the 2026 financial year. These are due to be published on 13 August – following an initial update in mid-July.
In the update, Rank highlighted its Grosvenor venues business as one of the main reasons behind expected record revenue for FY26. For the 12 months to the end of June, revenue should reach £834.1m, beating last year’s existing record of £795.3m by 6%.
Based on preliminary data, Rank’s digital business saw the most uplift, with an expected 8% increase in revenue. However, Grosvenor venues remained the primary source of revenue, with an expected £397.3m in FY26 revenue, up 5% year-on-year.
As for its other venues businesses – Mecca and Spanish-facing Enracha – both are said to have performed in line with expectations.
Also last month, Richard Harris was confirmed as permanent CEO of Rank after an interim spell in the role. Harris stepped in as temporary CEO in January following the retirement of John O’Reilly.