Rank Group Plc - Responsibility

Responsible Gambling

"The Rank Group has demonstrated that it takes seriously its responsibilities as a gambling operator. Both Grosvenor Casinos and Blue Square have developed strong operating procedures, which is why they carry the GamCare accreditation".

Geoffrey Godbold, chief executive, GamCare

Our aim is to provide enjoyment for all of our customers and our belief is that gambling should be a positive leisure experience. At the same time we recognise that for a small minority of people gambling can become an addictive behaviour which can lead to a range of problems for individuals and their families.

Our philosophy across all of our businesses and in each of the territories in which we operate is based upon the three guiding principles of the Gambling Act:

to prevent gambling being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime;
to ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way;
to protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

In support of these objectives, we undertook a number of major initiatives in 2007.

GamCare accreditation
We have achieved GamCare accreditation for Grosvenor Casinos and Blue Square. This involved the facilitation of 11 visits by GamCare to our casinos in 2007.

Responsibility in Gambling Trust
In 2007 we committed £220,000 to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RiGT), which in turn funds a range of problem gambling counselling and education services. All advertising by Rank's UK businesses carries the address of RiGT's gambleaware.co.uk website.

Working with the Gambling Commission
In 2007, the Rank Group continued to work closely with our regulatory body, the Gambling Commission. Rank was the first group to undergo a complete risk assessment by the Gambling Commission.

Community

In 2007 Mecca Bingo raised £139,742 for its chosen charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, through a variety of community activities involving employees and customers. Fundraising highlights included:

the general managers of Mecca Bingo in Hackney Road and Eltham Hill (both in London) raised £39,000 by visiting every Mecca Bingo club in the UK;
members from Mecca Bingo in Wednesbury in the West Midlands climbed Mount Snowdon to raise £1,000;
two team members from Mecca Bingo in Stevenage cycled from Stevenage to Gloucester, raising almost £2,000.

In addition Mecca Bingo in Hyde Road Manchester launched an appeal to raise £30,000 for a new children’s hospital for the city.

In 2008 Mecca Bingo is supporting Whizz-Kidz as its official charity. Whizz-Kidz provides customised mobility equipment, wheelchair training, advice and life skills to disabled children. A team from Mecca Bingo is hoping to raise £15,000 for the charity by participating in the 2008 London Marathon.

Grosvenor Casinos raised money for a variety of charities during 2007, including the British Heart Foundation and Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Fundraising highlights included:

the City Poker Classic (a charity poker tournament for investment banks and fund management firms) at the Victoria Casino raised £1,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer;
a team from the Grosvenor Gunwharf Casino in Portsmouth cycled 32 miles to raise £800 for the British Heart Foundation.

Blue Square generated more than £20,000 for a variety of charities through the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, including £2,000 for Manchester breast cancer charity, the Blossom Appeal.

Environment

At Rank we take responsibility for the effect of our operations on the Earth's natural resources and its climate.

In 2007, Rank established an environmental committee, chaired by Rank's chief executive, Ian Burke. The committee is charged with the scrutiny of the Group's environmental issues and is required to formulate and monitor 'green' policies in each of our businesses.

In total, Rank committed £1m to environmental projects during 2007. The focus of the Group's environmental activities has been the reduction of energy consumption and waste generation. Key achievements in the year included:

equipment installed to optimise electrical supplies to 17 sites;
equipment installed to reduce energy consumption on heating and ventilation systems at 23 sites;
the appointment of a new waste management and recycling agency to identify and maximise recycling opportunities within the Company’s sites.

In 2008, the Group is looking at a number of ways in which we can use our broad customer reach to promote energy efficiency in the communities where we operate.

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