Casino rebrand pays off for bank

UK gaming firm Rank today said its Grosvenor Casino business had driven an "encouraging" start to the year as punters continued to flock to its G Casino brand.

Rank said Grosvenor's like-for-like sales were up 9% in the 16 weeks to April 18, helped by longer opening hours and strong growth in customer visits, up 7%.

The firm has rebranded many casinos to appeal to those who want a night out as well as a bet, and plans to have 20 G Casinos open by 2012. Sites in Brighton and Newcastle are the latest in line for a relaunch.

Recent trading at Mecca Bingo also improved as its clubs recovered slightly from the impact of January's winter weather.

Like-for-like revenues at Mecca fell 3% during the first eight weeks of the year as snow kept older players away, but this decline eased to 2% for the 16 weeks to April 18 as customers returned.