Festive Strike Threatens to Disrupt Grosvenor’s Peak Season

_{Staff  at The Rialto casino in central London. (Image: PA Images/Alamy)}

Casino workers at some of London’s most popular gambling venues could walk out over Christmas after rejecting a below-inflation pay offer.

Union Unite said it will ballot around 140 members employed at Grosvenor Casinos following the company’s 2.5% pay proposal from parent firm, the Rank Group. The move could see a strike during one of the industry’s busiest times of year, hitting major London venues including the Rialto in Leicester Square, the Victoria in Edgware Road, and the Gloucester in Chelsea.

Unite has accused the operator of “greed,” arguing that the offer fails to match inflation and undermines the union’s role in representing staff.

Union: Company ‘Can Afford More’

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 

“Grosvenor Casinos can more than afford a better pay offer to our members who do a very specialised role, but instead has chosen to prioritise its own greed.

“These workers deserve more than this miserly below-inflationary rise being offered and they will receive Unite’s complete support throughout this dispute.”

Grosvenor’s croupiers and dealers handle poker rooms, roulette tables, and card games, often working under intense pressure from high-stakes gamblers. The union said the company’s profits show it can comfortably offer a fairer deal.

Company Profits Rise as Workers Push Back

Grosvenor Casinos, owned by the Rank Group, operates more than 50 venues across the UK. In a trading update this month, Rank reported £210.2 million in net gaming revenue for the quarter ending 30 September 2025, a 9% year-on-year increase.

Unite said that despite this financial growth, Rank has been “refusing to budge” on pay negotiations. The ballot on industrial action closes on 30 October.

‘A Massive Gamble’

Unite regional officer Janet MacLeod said: “Grosvenor Casinos is betting that its workers will not have the strength to take industrial action, but it is taking a massive gamble.

“Any strike action will cause a major hit to its profits given the time of year it is planned to take place. It can avoid this. Instead of trying to derecognise and undermine Unite, it must come back to the table with a pay offer that is appropriate for our members.”

The union last staged a strike at Grosvenor in 2022, when staff walked out for three days before securing a revised pay deal.

Rank Group has not publicly commented on the current dispute.

The Bigger Picture: Why It Matters

Casino workers are among many service-sector employees across the UK pushing for wage rises that keep pace with inflation. The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows real pay growth remains weak despite falling inflation, and unions are warning of a return to strike action during the holiday season.

For Grosvenor, any disruption during Christmas, traditionally one of its most profitable quarters, could significantly impact table revenue and customer footfall.

Casinos.com contacted the Rank Group for comment.