Irish Online and Telephone betting market worth €797 million

Just a week or so ago we reported on the imitative from the HRI (Horse Racing Industry) to increase taxes on online and telephone betting which are currently not taxed to fund the Racing Industry but now a report has been published by PwC (Pricewaterhouse Coopers) that shows that this tax would not be enough. Leading bookmakers amongst them Paddy Power, Boyle Sports, Ladbrokes and William Hill contributed to the survey by disclosing their turnover on a confidential basis and by estimating the share of smaller operators with the result that the total Irish online betting market is estimated at €558 million and telephone market at €239 million for a total of €797 million. Patrick Kennedy, Chief Executive of Paddy Power said “The reality is that taxing telephone and internet betting  will go nowhere near to providing the self funding solution that HRI has been advocating. Av 1% tax on all online sports betting by Irish customers, whether on French tennis, US politics, Six Nations rugby or the GAA Championships would yield only €6.7 million assuming that  it could be genuinely enforced against all of the international operators supplying the Irish online market” He also reiterated previous statements about having no objections to paying taxes (in fact they already contribute €44 million in taxes) but it would need to be applied to all internet bookmakers supplying the Irish market and not simply those based in the country and providing employment. It seems the argument still has a way to run.