BoyleSports enter UK betting shop market with Wilf Gilbert deal

BoyleSports are bucking the gloomy trends around betting shops with the news that Ireland's largest independent bookmaker have achieved their long-held ambition of entering the retail market in the United Kingdom.

They have purchased independent bookmaker Wilf Gilbert, who run 13 betting shops in the Midlands, for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition marks what BoyleSports hope is a rapid expansion in the UK, with the company aiming to possess 100 betting shops within the next 12 months.

BoyleSports' chief executive Conor Gray said: "With the purchase of the Wilf Gilbert group of shops we have realised our long-term goal to bring to the UK retail betting public the same quality of service and of shops that BoyleSports' Irish retail customers have enjoyed for years.

"Of course our ambition does not end with this group of shops. We are looking for other opportunities to grow our estate and hope to add more shops over the summer months and beyond."

Betting shop numbers are expected to fall sharply in the coming months, as a result of the fallout from the government's decision to reduce the maximum stake on the controversial gaming machines known as FOBTs, which provided the majority of revenues for high street bookmakers, to £2 from £100 from April 1.

Between them GVC Holdings – the parent company of Ladbrokes Coral – William Hill and Betfred have estimated 2,400 of their betting shops will close in the next few years, although GVC recently said the impact of the FOBT crackdown had not been as severe as initially expected.

However, FOBTs have never been allowed in Ireland and BoyleSports believe their experience of operating betting shops without them will enable them to swim against the tide.

Gray said: "The FOBT stake-reduction legislation will radically change the UK's retail betting environment.

"As a company that has never operated FOBTs we hope to help drive that change by transforming each of the shops within this group into world-class betting lounges with a wide variety of betting available on state-of-the-art screens and interactive terminals, with comfortable furniture, free refreshments and access to free wifi, that will provide a safe, regulated and enjoyable experience for both existing and new UK betting customers."

BoyleSports, founded by John Boyle in 1989, opened their 250th betting shop in Ireland in September.

Gray added: "As we enter into this new jurisdiction we would like to take this opportunity to put on record our sincere thanks to Graham Gilbert, his sons Graham and Tom and the staff at Wilf Gilbert.

"They have been great to work with and we look forward to carrying on the excellent work that Wilf and his team have delivered over numerous decades."

Wilf Gilbert is one of the longest-established independent bookmakers in the UK and the firm's outgoing head Graham Gilbert said they wanted any new owner to invest in the future of their staff and ensure customer service.

Gilbert added: "We are confident that we have found that company in BoyleSports. Knowing what BoyleSports has achieved in the very competitive Irish market I feel they have to potential to transform retail betting in the UK.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their many years of loyal service and to assure our customers that they could not be in better hands."

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