BoyleSports expands further acquiring William Hill stores in Northern Ireland

Two months after acquiring Bruce Betting which has 18 outlets accros the Republic of Ireland, independent bookmaker BoyleSports continues to expand by buying William Hill 33 Northern Ireland shops!

The deal will see William Hill’s betting shops to be rebranded under Irelands largest independent bookmaker, who will now have 39 outlets in North Ireland. The deal includes 2 William Hill shops in Isle of Man as well.

BoyleSports CEO, Conor Gray 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.”

This is BoyleSports’ largest acquisition deal. The total number of BoyleSports’ shops across the island of Ireland is up to 298 and its total retail footprint including the UK to 317 shops.

Following the announcement Conor Gray used news of the acquisition to criticise the Irish Government’s decision to increase betting tax. “The Government’s 2018 decision to impose a 100% 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.”