Sports Betting in Ireland Doing Well Despite Recession

The Irish population is quite small at 4.5 million, yet the island’s residents spend nearly $4 billion euros a year on betting, which on average amounts to about $1,000 per head. At the same time the Irish gambling laws are quite liberal and offer players many opportunities to bet.

The online sportsbooks in Ireland are doing quite well, so are retail outfits despite prolonged and severe recession. One Irish bookmaker, Boylesports last year alone added 40 shops to its chain. The company’s annual turnover well exceeded a billion euros in 2011.

The company’s founder, John Boyle, as local sources indicate, before building his sports betting empire, used to be an alcoholic and a bread salesman, who after being fired started on his great business journey.

Despite rosy performance of Boylesports, not all bookmakers or online casinos in Ireland are doing well. When William Hill, a well known British bookmaker and a casino site, left Ireland, Boylesports acquired its branches. So far, the company has nearly 180 betting shops in Ireland.

The bookmaker is also seeking to enter Asia with online sportsbook offering. The move is expected to happen in the Philippines and Macau. The company is hoping to capitalize on English Premier League betting, which is quite popular around the world. But, how about the Spanish league? Aren’t the Spanish teams performing better at the European Cups?