Wet summer helps gaming firm Rank

Bingo, casino and online gaming firm Rank says the wet British summer has coutered the effect of the smoking ban in England for its clubs.

Rank said first-half group revenues were £284.6 million (€418.5 million) with underlying group operating profit up 26 per cent to £47.9 million, helped largely by cost savings.

The firm said its Mecca bingo clubs in England had seen a 4.4 per cent decline in like-for-like revenues since the smoking ban was introduced on July 1st, while in Scotland, like-for-like revenues were down around 13 per cent since the end of March.

In the first year of the ban in Scotland, revenues at its clubs there fell 17 per cent.

The firm said it remained cautious for the rest of the year.