The betting sector employs over 6,000 people across Ireland and contributes over €171.2m to the exchequer including income tax, USC, PRSI, corporation tax, betting tax and VAT on purchases from the betting sector.
The retail betting sector has seen a significant decline in shop numbers due to the increased betting tax burden and shift to online, which was accelerated because of Covid19. Since the 2008 recession, the number of betting shops decreased dramatically, but had plateaued off by 2015. The decline accelerated after the 2019 tax increase, where we had only 9 closures in the three years before the betting duty doubled, but 109 in five years since.
The closures have been spread throughout the country. Over the long-term the number of betting shops decreased from 1385 in 2008 to 745 in 2023, a decrease of 46.2%.
The large number of closures experienced since the betting tax doubled in 2019, has caused a substantial number of job losses. On the basis of an average part-time and full-time jobs per betting shop of five persons (both full and part-timers) the 127 betting shop closures since the increase was announced and implemented was directly associated with 635 job losses. This is equivalent to approximately four full-time job equivalents per establishment which totals 508 full-time equivalent job losses from the 127 closures.
The remaining 750 retail betting shops (as of Jan 2024) employ approximately 2,980 full-time job equivalents or 4,470 persons between full and part-time positions but the sector is under severe threat.
