The UK poses many challenges to operators, especially to those who have their main scope of business nestled within its borders. It’s a market that has been described as multi-seasonal and volatile, rewarding at times, but with specific challenges like no other, especially regulatory. The UK-headquartered Rank Group is able to give a first-hand account of everything that makes the industry so unique, especially in terms of how it is administered, and the operator recently commented on the reasons behind its 2% year on year revenue drop during the second half of 2018.
The operator owns both the Grosvenor and Mecca brands, which essentially consist of casinos and Bingo venues. Quite interesting is the fact that the Rank Group has said that much of the slow-down was caused by the first half of 2018 having been plagued by exceptionally bad weather, which resulted in a major drop in customer support, especially on the Grosvenor end of things.
The operator has however been driving its digital offerings ever forward, and this appears to have paid off in a big way. A 16% increase in digital revenue caused a spin-off effect that caused the Grosvenor as well as the Mecca brands to grow, despite the many challenges in the market.
CEO John O’Reilly was notably disappointed at the group’s overall performance during 2018, but has said that a renewed focus on the group’s digital brands would ensure that the brand continues to grow and progress. O’Reilly was appointed in April last year, and has been focused on digital since day 1.
| # | Casino | Bonus | Play | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Jackpot City |  | 5/5 | $1600 NZD | Play now Review |
| 2 |  | Spin Casino | | 4.9/5 | $1000 NZD | Play now Review |
| 3 |  | Gaming Club | | 4.8/5 | $350 NZD | Play now Review |
| 4 |  | Ruby Fortune | | 4.7/5 | $750 NZD | Play now Review |
