Rank’s Digital Arms Drive Q1 Growth at Grosvenor and Mecca

Rank Group has opened its new financial year with its online brands doing much of the heavy lifting. The Grosvenor and Mecca Bingo owner’s first-quarter trading update shows digital revenue outpacing the wider business, with Mecca’s online brand in particular enjoying a strong run through the summer months.

What’s been released

Rank Group’s trading update covers the quarter ended 30 September 2026, the first three months of its new financial year.
Rank Group has reported steady net revenue gains at £216.1m, up 5% year-on-year, in the post-Remote Gaming Duty hike era.

Digital revenue was up 6% and venues up 5%, with growth driven by strong UK digital performance, notably the Mecca brand online, and solid gains at Grosvenor and Enracha venues, while Mecca venues were flat.

Chief executive Richard Harris used the update to flag what’s coming down the track rather than dwell on the numbers already banked.
He highlighted the risk posed to the business by a potential doubling of the UK’s Machine Games Duty, which may be presented in the government’s upcoming Autumn Budget, warning that higher rates could elevate operating costs and hinder future investment in the sector.
Even so,
Harris said he was pleased with the revenue growth seen in the first quarter, particularly the progress made in gaming machine performance in Grosvenor and the resilience of the UK digital business.

What’s changed

Look under the headline figure and the quarter splits fairly evenly between bricks-and-mortar and screen-based play, but with digital pulling ahead on growth rate.
The Grosvenor and Mecca Bingo owner posted like-for-like digital net gaming revenue of £64.9m for its Q1 trading period, a 6% year-on-year increase, with digital growth across both its UK business (6%) and international presence (4%), and net revenue from the Mecca online brand up 7% year-on-year.

On the venues side, Grosvenor’s casino floors told an interesting story about where players are spending their time.
Grosvenor casinos grew by 6% to £108.1m, accompanied by a 1% increase in visits and 5% more spending per visit, with revenue from table gaming up 3%, electronic gaming up 5%, and gaming machines up 14% year-on-year.

The company said the strength in gaming machines reinforces its confidence in further improvement as it continues optimising the machine estate.

Mecca’s bingo venues had a quieter three months by comparison.
Mecca venues revenue came in flat year-on-year at £32.2m, with customer visits down 3% while spending per visit increased by 3%, a drop in visitors Rank attributed primarily to the prolonged UK heatwave.

The company also closed three underperforming venues during the period, while signalling confidence in meeting market expectations for operating profit.

Where it fits

The update lands at a moment when UK operators are watching Budget signals closely.
Harris’s warning about a possible doubling of Machine Games Duty echoes concerns already raised across the sector about how further tax rises could squeeze investment in venues and digital products alike.
That caution sits alongside the digital growth story Rank is keen to tell: a Mecca online brand gaining ground and a Grosvenor machine estate that keeps outperforming, even as the land-based bingo side cools.

For players, the practical takeaway is less about the balance sheet and more about where investment is likely to keep flowing. With gaming machines and digital products delivering the strongest growth this quarter, those are the areas Rank has every incentive to keep developing, regardless of how the tax picture shifts in the months ahead.
The group plans to release its interim results for the six months to 31 December 2026 on 28 January 2027
, which should offer a clearer read on whether this quarter’s momentum holds.

Sources

• SBC News – Rank Group ends Q1 up 5% on net revenue
• TipRanks – Rank Group posts Q1 revenue growth but warns on UK tax risks
• iGaming Business – Rank CEO says MGD rise would ‘reduce viability’ of venues but hails ‘strong start’ to financial year
• The Market Reporter – Rank Group on track to meet profit expectations after strong start to financial year