Finite Factor Representations of Higman-Thompson groups

We prove that the only finite factor-representations of the Higman-Thompson groups $\{F_{n,r}\}$, $ \{G_{n,r}\}$ are the regular representations and scalar representations arising from group abelianizations. As a corollary, we obtain that any measure-preserving ergodic action of a simple Higman-Thompson group must be essentially free. Finite factor representations of other classes of groups are also discussed.