Rank Group Plc, Britain's second- largest casino company, agreed to sell its Hard Rock restaurant, hotel and casino division to the Seminoles, a native American Indian tribe, for $965 million. Rank Group will now focus on their gaming operations in Europe.

Rank will return 350 million pounds ($689 million) to investors with a special dividend after the sale is complete, the company said today in a statement. The division has 124 cafes, six hotels and casinos, and two concert venues.

The transaction marks the first major purchase of an international company by a native American Indian tribe, according to a statement from the Seminoles, who are based near Fort Lauderdale in Florida. The sale of Hard Rock completes a six-year breakup of Rank, which hasn't had an annual profit since 2003, leaving casinos and bingo halls in Britain as its main business.

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