Mecca Bingo and casino owner Rank Group has said it is focusing on the reopening of its venues next month after suffering plummeting sales during lockdown.

The gambling group, with a Mecca Bingo and Grosvenor casino site off Moor Lane in Bolton town centre, reported a 76 per cent plunge in like-for-like net gaming revenues in the quarter to the end of March, with online sales unable to offset the hit to its venues.

All of its UK sites were closed during this quarter.

It is set to reopen English sites on May 17 under the Government’s road map plans to exit lockdown.

The firm said its third-quarter venue sales were almost wiped out, crashing 98%, while digital sales dropped 3% year on year.

Rank said Grosvenor casinos saw a 2 per cent fall in online revenues compared with the previous three months, while Mecca notched up a 4 per cent rise.

The group also gave assurances over the strength of its balance sheet despite the pandemic trading woes, confirming it ended the quarter with £89.8 million in cash and available financing facilities.

Rank chief executive John O’Reilly said: “Our business has inevitably been heavily impacted by the pandemic but, with the strong support and dedication of our colleagues, we are now very much looking forward to reopening our casino and bingo venues, welcoming back our customers and providing the great entertainment and omni-channel service in a Covid-safe environment we know they enjoy.”

Rank warned in January that trading at its venues is not likely to fully recover until the middle of next year.