High rollers are shunning Britain’s casinos because of the end of tax-free shopping.
John O’Reilly, chief executive of Rank Group, which operates Grosvenor Casinos, called on the government to scrap VAT charges on international visitors. “The absence of tax-free shopping since Brexit has had a material impact,” he said.
London revenues at Rank, which also owns Mecca Bingo, are 26% below 2019 levels. Eight of Rank’s 51 British casinos are in London, but they provide about 35% of revenue.
