Rank picks Luda for new bingo brand

The Rank Group’s planned ‘convenience-style’ bingo business will be called Luda, EGR understands, after the firm had a change of heart on its initial choice of Kudo.

According to filings on Companies House, Rank had originally registered the company name Kudo Bingo Limited, however, this has since been changed to Luda Bingo Limited.

It is understood the names Ludo, Luma and Kudos were also in the mix as the firm sought a name which sounded familiar but wasn’t already a registered brand.

The firm plans to launch Luda online and on the UK high street simultaneously in H1 2017 as it looks to attract a new demographic and satisfy changing consumer habits.

Speaking to EGR recently, Rank chief executive Henry Birch said the new bingo venues would be located on the high street, similar to bookmakers, rather than out of town like its own Mecca halls.

“If you look at Mecca and Gala Bingo clubs, they are typically large out of town venues that were the product of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s when times were very different and people went to out of town shopping centres with bingo very much more part of the fabric,” Birch said.

“Now, I think similar to the town supermarkets like Tesco Metro and Sainsbury’s Local, there is an opportunity for more convenience gaming and more city centre focus,” he added.

The Luda project has been led by Martin Pugh, who EGR yesterday revealed would be leaving his Mecca MD role to take on a similar post at Rank’s stablemate casino brand Grosvenor.

Rank declined to comment on this story when contacted by EGR.