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Luck of the Irish?

Gamebookers’ new Irish betting license to benefit Irish exchequer

Thursday 22nd April 2004



Bookmaking group, Gamebookers, has been granted a betting license in Ireland – a development which is set to benefit the Irish punter and exchequer alike. The group will be the first sports-betting company to combine online tax-free betting and more traditional telephone betting in Ireland.

Gamebookers is already a market leader in providing content of specific interest to the Irish market, with a comprehensive service covering Gaelic games and Eircom League soccer. Most importantly, however, from henceforth all bets placed online and via the telephone through ‘Gamebookers ie’ will terminate in Ireland which will be good for the economy. Irish MD, Ed Lee, explained:

'Up to now every so-called 'Irish' online bookmaker has terminated Irish punters' bets abroad so the Irish exchequer has not benefited from the many millions bet by Irish punters online. Gamebookers.ie will maintain tax-free betting, but by absorbing the Irish betting levy on behalf of our customers, in effect keeping Irish punters' money in the country. This is a very exciting development for Gamebookers and for the online sports-betting industry in Ireland.”

Lee hopes that this will herald a ‘more sensible’ attitude to online betting from the Irish government and the introduction of much needed legislative reforms. He adds, “This would create a level playing field and discourage many Irish bookmakers from lining the UK exchequer's coffers rather than our own.'




Source: OnlineCasinoNews