By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Conor Gray, CEO, BoyleSports
Conor Gray, Chief Executive Officer of BoyleSports said, “BoyleSports is delighted to realise its long-held ambition to develop a meaningful retail presence across Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.”
Independent bookmaker BoyleSports has acquired 33 William Hill betting shops in the north of Ireland making it Ireland’s biggest retail bookie. With headquarters in Dundalk, County Louth, this is BoyleSports’ largest acquisition to date, bringing its total number of shops in Northern Ireland to 39, its number of shops on the island of Ireland to 298 and its retail footprint across Ireland and the UK to 317 shops.
BoyleSports has experienced incredible growth since its foundation. This acquisition, which represents a full takeover of all William Hill retail operations in both Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, marks a significant step towards the company achieving its ambition to grow its UK retail network.
Conor Gray, Chief Executive Officer of BoyleSports said, “BoyleSports is delighted to realise its long-held ambition to develop a meaningful retail presence across Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Indeed, John Boyle opened the first ever BoyleSports in Markethill, Co Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1982, so increasing our presence in Northern Ireland many years later is significant on many fronts.
“This acquisition complements our existing retail network in Northern Ireland and our retail network in the Republic of Ireland while also representing a significant step in our long-stated ambition to develop our retail footprint across the UK.”
Gray continued, “The Government’s 2018 decision to impose a 100pc increase in betting duty has, as predicted by all Irish bookmakers, led to dramatic consolidation of the industry, with previously thriving betting companies now permanently closing their doors.
“Although BoyleSports expects some participation in that forced consolidation to some degree, the increase in betting duty has meant that the focus of future expansion and investment will be outside the Republic of Ireland.”
All of the stores being acquired will be rebranded as BoyleSports outlets.
