Bingo News from Rank Group
Thursday, 21 February 2013 | Written by Tami Bayliss
The Rank Group is one of the largest gambling operators in the whole of Europe, with its reach specifically stretching into the UK. Brands that you will recognise in the UK are Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor Casinos, with each having physical sites located throughout the country. Rank has just recently been very open in releasing lots of information to the national media, with some very useful titbits present to read. Among the highlights are a couple of positive statistics relating to the bingo industry which should give hope to try and combat future struggles.
Rise in Bingo Hall Players at Mecca
Starting with bingo, Rank revealed that it actually managed to increase attendance to its bingo halls in the final six months of 2012, a startling outcome when the rest of the industry it on its knees. Figures reveal that attendance at Mecca halls increased by 50,000 players to reach 770,000, placing it above the 762,000 attendees that Grosvenor Casino generated. Not only did Mecca manage to attract more players to the bingo halls, but it also had a higher level of attendance than a nationwide casino. Mecca is giving the entire industry hope that there is a long-term future out there for bingo halls. As much we all love online bingo games, it just wouldn’t be the same without halls.
25-35s Enjoying Bingo
In the whole of the UK, Rank has a little over 100 Mecca Bingo halls. The scale of the operation is mind-blowing, so if Mecca records positive results then that can only bode well for the rest of the industry. Rank happened to also deliver further good news when it revealed that the majority of players at Mecca halls were from the younger generation. The best performing age bracket among the players was 25 to 35, which is brilliant to hear. It proves that there is an appetite among the young for bingo and the game is no longer just limited to the seniors.
Future Prospects on the Horizon
Recent media publications even managed to pry comments from the Rank chief executive, Ian Burke. He said that he was excited by the potential prospects offered by the youth market for the future, especially with 65 per cent of his players aged 35 or older. Mecca is one of the most creative forces in both the offline and online bingo industries, so it’s little wonder that there is a lot of ambition on display from its chief executive.
Things Turnings for the Better
After being exposed to a steady stream of mostly bad news over the past couple of years, things seem to be finally turning for the better. Hopefully there will be further exciting new to report on as 2013 moves forwards. One example that we can think of would be for a lower rate of tax to be applied to bingo hall operators, helping to level the playing field with the rest of the UK gambling industry.
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