UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report:

(Date of earliest event reported)

December 20, 2010

RENT-A-CENTER, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

5501 Headquarters Drive
Plano, Texas  75024
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

(972) 801-1100

(Registrant’s telephone
number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o            Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425).

o            Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12).

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act  (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)).

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)).

Item 8.01                                           Other Events.

On December 20, 2010, Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that its board of directors declared a cash dividend in the amount of $0.06 per share payable on January 26, 2011, to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 5, 2011.

The press release containing these announcements is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01                                           Financial Statements and Exhibits

99.1                                                                         Press Release issued on December 20, 2010 by Rent-A-Center, Inc.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

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EXHIBIT INDEX

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Exhibit 99.1

For Immediate Release:

RENT-A-CENTER, INC.

ANNOUNCES CASH DIVIDEND

FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2011

Plano, Texas, December 20, 2010 — Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ/NGS: RCII), the nation’s largest rent-to-own operator, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a $0.06 per share cash dividend for the first quarter of 2011 to be paid to the Company’s common stockholders. The dividend will be paid on January 26, 2011 to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 5, 2011.

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Rent-A-Center, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas, currently operates approximately 3,000 company-owned stores nationwide and in Canada and Puerto Rico.  The stores generally offer high-quality, durable goods such as major consumer electronics, appliances, computers and furniture and accessories under flexible rental purchase agreements that generally allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period. ColorTyme, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is a national franchiser of approximately 200 rent-to-own stores operating under the trade name of “ColorTyme.”

Contact for Rent-A-Center, Inc.:

David E. Carpenter

Vice President of Investor

Relations

(972) 801-1214

david.carpenter@rentacenter.com