
Sir Reo Stakis (born Argyros Anastasis) (13 March 1913 - 28 August 2001) was a Scottish-Cypriot hotel magnate,
Stakis opened Scotland's first casino, the Chevalier, in 1964 and gradually added several other casinos to the Stakis group. The Chevalier was an immediate success, the first of an eventual chain of 22. He finally decided to sell his empire which consited of, 54, four-star hotels, 22 casinos and 70 health clubs to Ladbrokes in 1999.

Gala aquired the ladbroke chain of casinos in December 2000 and at this time consisted of 127 UK casinos, plus one each in Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, to its portfolio of 175 bingo halls around the country.