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Rank Group opens two new G Casinos
Revenues increase
Coventry and Dundee casinos expand company's portfolio to nine UK properties
for Cineworld Group
Cineworld Group has reported By Pete Hayman & Tom Walker
total revenues up by 6.5 percent
on the previous year for the 43 The Rank Group has opened
weeks to 22 October. Box office two new G Casinos, taking the
revenue was up by 10.9 per cent total number of properties in
and retail by 5 per cent, although the portfolio to nine.
other income – mainly screen The Ricoh Arena casino in
advertising revenue – saw a fall Coventry has benefited from a
of 26.9 per cent. The figures £1m reconfiguration since it
come against a backdrop of what was acquired by Grosvenor
the company calls 'exceptional Q3 Casinos in a £650,000 deal
trading last year' due to the from Isle of Capri in April 2009.
success of the blockbuster Opened on 29 October, the
Mamma Mia. Cineworld also 44,000sq ft (4,088sq m) casino G Casino Coventry general manager Paul Davies at the launch
confirmed that it will shortly be will form part of Rank's plans
opening a 10 screen cinema in to expand the G Casino brand The launch of the Coventry business, said: "At the heart of
Aberdeen and a five screen to 20 sites by the end of 2012, site follows just a week after the G Casino's success over the last
cinema in Witney, Oxfordshire, with a further G Casino opening of the G Casino in three years has been a very
increasing its estate to 77 scheduled to open in Sheffield Dundee, Scotland. simple ambition to give our
cinemas and 790 screens. The two before the end of the year. The £5m, 30,000sq ft customers a great night out
new theatres will be the first in The G Casino at the Ricoh (2,800sq m) club boasts a and we look forward to
the company to have digital Arena boasts a restaurant restaurant, a bar, a sports achieving that in Dundee."
projectors in every auditorium. operated by West Midlands- lounge and a poker room as The first G Casino opened in
For the final quarter, Cineworld's based Mahir's Experience; a well as a wide range of Manchester in 2006. Since then
film line-up includes 2012, sports lounge; a bar and one of traditional casino games and six more G Casinos have been
Sherlock Holmes and Avatar, the largest poker rooms in the gaming machines. added in Aberdeen, Blackpool,
which it believes will help the UK; as well as 20 gaming tables Phil Urban, managing Bolton Luton, Thanet and
company to deliver continued and 20 gaming machines. director of Rank's casinos London's Piccadilly Circus.
growth for the full year.
Snow dome complex
First hmvcurzon
cinema unveiled
Jongleurs chain to be rebranded?
proposed for Blackpool
A multi-million pound snow Music retailer HMV and By Luke Tuchscherer
dome is being planned for the cinema operator Curzon
land formerly allocated for a have opened a cinema at The license for the Jongleurs
supercasino in Blackpool. The an HMV store in Wimble- comedy club chain will revert
plans, which would also include don – the first in a to its founder as of 2 January.
shops, bars and a hotel, have planned UK-wide network Intertain, the new company
been put forward by Greenbank of store-based cinemas. that saved 60 Regent Inns sites
Partnerships. Blackpool Council hmvcurzon will be run from administration – including
is currently looking into the as a joint venture between 10 Jongleurs clubs – is able to
proposal and has given the two companies and is use the Jongleurs name until
Greenbank permission to situated on the store's control reverts to Maria Intertain faces rebranding the
conduct a feasibility study. The unused second floor. Kempinska, who founded the Jongleurs portfolio of clubs
council's leader, Peter Callow, The venue has three brand in 1983, next year.
told the Blackpool Gazette: "This screens with a combined A statement from Intertain ment with Jongleurs Comedy
will put Blackpool in the big total of 263 seats, a fully said: "On 20 October 2009, Limited to continue to run
league. We're talking about licensed café-bar and a Intertain Limited acquired 10 these 10 venues as Jongleurs
something that can change the merchandise area. live entertainment venues as Comedy Clubs until 2 January
face of the resort." The Central HMV hopes to be able part of a package of 60 trading 2010," the statement added.
Station site was earmarked as a to roll-out the hmvcurzon assets, from the joint adminis- After then, it isn't known
possible supercasino location, concept to more locations trators of Regent Inns." whether Intertain will rebrand
before the government scrapped across the country. "Intertain has now entered the clubs or come to a new
the idea altogether. into a brand licensing agree- arrangement with Kempinska.
6 Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digital © Cybertrek 2009
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