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Mark’s view...
latest news
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We’ve got big plans for great new developments
Looking ahead to
exciting times
Focus on . . . productivity
What a difference a year makes!
After a really terrible start to 2013–
14 we are now seeing consistent
improvement which is starting to
be reflected in profitability.
A year ago, who would have
believed we would have halved
bingo tax to 10 per cent. This is
really important as it allows us to
start a number of initiatives that can
be funded with the duty reduction.
There are four key areas that
will be the major thrust in the
year ahead – venue development,
improving productivity and further
developing the digital and crosschannel business. You can read
more about them on this page and
we need you to get behind them,
especially with the digital and
cross-channel developments.
I’m delighted to be able to say
that we are in better financial shape
and in a very strong position at the
top of our market.
Also at the top of their game are
our winners at this year’s general
managers’ awards. Congratulations
to them all, especially GM of the Year
Lynne Butterworth – they are great
examples of what Mecca stands for.
And I thank all of you for your
efforts in helping us to drive
efficiencies and improvement in the
business. I’m really looking forward
to 2014–15. I hope you are, too.
MARK JONES
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Follow me
on Twitter:
@MeccaBingoMD
2 WOW! Issue 35 • August 2014
T
here are big plans for a big year ahead for Mecca as the cut in bingo tax
and improvement in business performance open the door to exciting
new developments and innovation.
The four key areas of focus are on developing clubs, on productivity,
boosting the cross-channel business and on the digital side.
Said Mark Jones, managing director: “We now have a really strong and positive
momentum going in this financial year.”
Focus
o
Making more of Mecca Max and going cashless are two areas
that will help to improve productivity in the clubs.
A new-look Max will allow more customers to go cashless.
A tablet trial is under way and could be in other clubs soon.
A ‘ticket in, ticket out’ (TITO) system for slots is also
on trial. Not only could this end the time-consuming task
of refilling hoppers and save winning customers from having
to swap jars of coins for notes, the ticket receipt from one
slot can be used to credit other machines. There will be
investment, too, in linking machines together to allow
server-based games.
Cashless Cashline is yet another way of improving
productivity, rather than having to change all the mechanism
for paying for Cashline when the new £1 coin comes into
circulation in 2017.
Mecca is looking at ways of doing this
and you can expect to see some
developments in the
coming year.
n...c
Focus on . . . clubs
Mecca is committed to using the
reduction in bingo duty to grow the
business – and that includes new
bingo clubs. There are proposals
for a new flat-floor club, the
possibility of a new high street
format offering bingo and slots and
talks are going on with Grosvenor
Casinos about how Mecca can take
bingo into some of the casinos.
It is also an opportunity to be
innovative, designing a club for
the future that will stand the
test of time.
Project 2020, led by director of
innovation Tom Stringer, will look
at all these aspects and will be
consulting with teams about
what could be done differently.
Focus on . . .
digital
Tablets will be the big thing
this year, with a new iPad
app coming at the end of the
summer which will leapfrog
Mecca ahead of the competition.
There’s also a big change coming
in the way the digital game is
taxed which, while it will be a
cost to the business, will shake
up the market. It is thought that
this will lead to a big drop in
the 300 bingo sites currently
operating in the UK. Mecca is
preparing to take full advantage
of that with more digital
marketing, particularly on TV.
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Emma gets into
character
Look who popped into Mecca Glasgow
Quay to play bingo!
Oscar-winning actress Emma
Thompson was researching her latest
movie role as the bingo-playing mum of
Glaswegian barber and serial murderer
Barney Thomson, in the dark comedy
The Legend of Barney Thomson.
The entire film was being shot in Glasgow,
and although bingo scenes were filmed at
the Barrowland ballroom, Emma was keen
to make sure her portrayal was accurate.
Dressed casually, she arrived unannounced
and signed in as a customer. She stayed for
nearly an hour, playing bingo, walking around
watching other players, enjoying a coffee