The former Newcastle United man, 22, was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and nine months supervision by Newcastle Magistrates after admitting common assault in April.
Ranger - who was released by Newcastle in March and is now earning just £30 a day - said he keeps missing probation meetings because he is touring the country meeting football chiefs and agents.
Highbury Corner Magistrates have agreed to change it to a £5,000 fine because Ranger is desperately scouring the country for a club that will take him.
Ranger skipped more than half of the court-ordered appointments and completed just 14 hours community service since he was sentenced in April, the court heard.
He was hauled back into the dock last week after missing two appointments in July without giving any reason at all for his absence.
‘After the imposition of the order, the defendant had a total of 29 appointments, out of which he managed to attend 13’, said prosecutor Mahmudul Amin.
‘Eight have been for the supervision requirement, and five for the unpaid work requirement. He has been credited with 14 hour’s work.
‘He also had 13 acceptable absences - the high number of acceptable absences is because Mr Ranger is a professional footballer.
‘Some of the acceptable absences are on dates of appointments Mr Ranger had with football agents.
‘He has been travelling to different towns in England in order to try to secure a contract.
Mr Amin said the heavily tattooed striker, who recently had his own surname inscribed on his forehead, breached the court order when he thought a new club had come in to sign him.
He said: ‘In July this year, there was a suggestion he had secured a contract with a football club, however, the club did not tell him when he should start playing football.’
Alistair McKenzie, for Ranger, suggested the striker would pay a hefty fine, but is currently living off just £30-a-day from Newcastle under the terms of his release.
His disposable income is £210 a week and he doesn’t have access to any other savings for the purpose of these proceedings’, he said.
‘When he left Newcastle in March, payment was made and he receives £30-a-day living expenses.
‘He doesn’t have outgoing in that, all his outgoings like accommodation has already been dealt with as part of that contract.
The striker was on £7,000-a-week at Newcastle, but much of it was paid into a savings account Ranger is not allowed to access until he is 25 because he had a long-standing gambling addiction.
‘The money in an ISA is part of a previous financial arrangement, and the reason he can’t get to the money is probably due to his gambling issues he had at the time’, said Mr McKenzie.
Magistrate Hazel Miall, chairing the hearing, accepted Ranger’s bid for the sentence to be changed to a fine.
She gave him 42 days to pay up, or come back to the court if he has failed to find a new club in that time.
Ranger, of Bailey Close, Bounds Green, north London, admitted failing to comply with the requirements of a community order.
He was fined £5,000, ordered to pay £80 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.