Paddy Power to close 21 shops with ‘small number’ of jobs to go

Paddy Power plans to close 21 betting shops around the Republic with the loss of some jobs, the bookie’s owner, Flutter Entertainment, said on Wednesday.

The Dublin-headquartered gambling giant said the move followed a review of its Irish betting shop chain and will leave it with 230 outlets across the Republic.

Paddy Power will offer most of the 78 workers affected redeployment across its remaining shops, close to their existing employment, but conceded the move would cost “a small number” of jobs.

“We are consulting closely with colleagues and providing support to those affected by these changes,” a statement added.

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Shops earmarked for closure include Goatstown in Dublin, Dominick Street in Galway, Dillon’s Cross in Cork City and Skibbereen in west Cork.

In all, the group is closing nine premises in the capital while betting shops in counties Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford will also go.

Paddy Power regularly reviews its betting shops, according to David Newton, its chief commercial officer.

“Whilst the majority of our estate continues to perform well and is growing market share, we have decided to close a number of under performing shops,” he said.

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He added that this was not a reflection on those who worked in the outlets facing closure.

The company’s statement maintained that it continued to invest in its betting shops despite challenges that retailing and the betting and gaming industries face.

It noted that the group had grown market share in the UK and Republic during the first half of this year.

Government Covid restrictions closed Flutter’s betting shops in Ireland and Britain for periods in 2020 and 2021.

The slow pace at which the Republic re-opened following the pandemic’s end in 2021 meant that betting shops in the State recovered more slowly than those in Northern Ireland and Britain.

Paddy Power subsequently closed several shops in Dublin as customers failed to return in numbers that matched pre-pandemic levels.