The Rank Group has raised its full-year profit expectation after growth across its digital and venue operations lifted like-for-like net gaming revenue by 6% to approximately £834.1m ($1.13bn) for the year ended 30 June 2026.
The operator now expects underlying operating profit of at least £76m, compared with the minimum £68m forecast issued alongside its third-quarter update.
Final EBITDA and net income figures were not disclosed and will be published with Rank Group’s preliminary results on 13 August.
Fourth-quarter NGR increased 6% to £208.9m. Digital recorded the strongest divisional growth, rising 12% to £63.9m, while Grosvenor venues generated £98.3m, up 3%.
UK digital NGR also rose 12%, despite the Remote Gaming Duty rate increasing from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026.
The UK Government introduced the change alongside the abolition of Bingo Duty, creating differing tax effects across Rank Group’s online casino and Mecca operations.
Rank Group reduced above-the-line marketing expenditure, supplier costs and headcount following the tax announcement. It retained spending on performance marketing and customer incentives.
Grosvenor’s gaming machine revenue increased 12% during the quarter. The operator added 850 terminals during the first half following reforms that expanded machine allocations at land-based casinos.
Mecca venues reported 4% full-year NGR growth to £143m, while Spain-facing Enracha venues increased 7% to £45.3m.
The trading update also included a £5m provision relating to a proposed regulatory settlement with the Gambling Commission. The review concerns Grosvenor Casinos’ compliance between November 2024 and May 2025, with remedial measures substantially implemented during the first half.
The Gambling Commission’s revised penalty framework calculates the starting point for most fines using a percentage of gross gambling yield generated during the breach period. The methodology took effect in October 2025 and applies escalating ranges according to the assessed seriousness of a breach.
Rank Group CEO, Richard Harris, said: “We have worked hard to mitigate the impact of the RGD increase, whilst protecting digital revenues and optimising performance in our land-based businesses.”
Earlier this week, Rank Group confirmed Richard Harris as its permanent CEO after six months in the interim role. The former CFO takes charge as the operator pursues its medium-term target of at least £100m in operating profit while adapting to higher gambling taxes and a changing UK regulatory landscape.
Harris also inherits several strategic priorities, including mitigating the impact of the higher Remote Gaming Duty rate, completing Rank's leadership team, strengthening compliance and risk controls and maintaining growth across the group's land-based and digital businesses.
For 2024/25, Rank Group reported NGR of £795.4m, underlying EBITDA of approximately £116.5m and net income of £44.6m.
In April, Rank Group reported third-quarter NGR growth of 5% to £205.4m and raised its minimum full-year operating profit outlook to £68m, supported by gaming machine growth at Grosvenor and cost reductions in digital.
Rank Group continues to target annual operating profit of at least £100m over the medium term
