BoyleSports acquires HughesBet betting shops

The bookmaker will take over six out of seven betting shops in the HughesBet chain.

UK.- The Irish bookmaker BoyleSports has confirmed its acquisition of almost all of the retail betting sites operated by HughesBet in Northern Ireland.

It has acquired six out of the seven stores in the HughesBet chain from Northern Irish bookmaker Gregory Hughes. 

The six stores will all be rebranded as BoyleSports and upgraded according to the operator’s business model.

The move follows BoyleSports’ acquisition of William Hill’s betting shops in Northern Ireland earlier in the year. It will bring the total number of BoyleSports retail outlets in the country to 45. 

Conor Gray, chief executive of BoyleSports, said: “Since BoyleSports founder and chairman John Boyle opened his first shop at Markethill, Armagh in 1982, it has been our ambition to develop a meaningful retail presence in Northern Ireland.

“The purchase of the HughesBet chain of shops demonstrates our long-term commitment to the Northern Ireland market.”

Dundalk-based BoyleSports began its expansion in the UK last year through the acquisition of a series of betting shops in the Midlands run by independent bookmaker Wilf Gilbert.

Meanwhile, south of the border in the Republic of Ireland this week, US operator DraftKings has launched its first international Sportsbook.