Irish Bookmakers Warn Betting Tax Rise Would Fuel Black Market
The Irish Bookmakers Association has urged finance minister Simon Harris to leave the country's 2% betting duty unchanged in next month's budget, warning that a further increase would push more Irish bettors toward unlicensed operators rather than raise meaningful revenue for the state.
Profits Down, Duty Up Since The Last Hike
The IBA's submission for Budget 2027 points to the last increase, when betting duty doubled from 1% to 2% in 2019, as evidence of the risk.
The association says 222 betting shops closed and roughly 1,000 retail jobs were lost in the years that followed.
It adds that retail bookmakers made a net profit of €87m in 2018 while paying €28m in betting duty; by 2025, profit had fallen to €25m even as the duty bill rose to €45m, meaning duty now costs the retail sector more than 180% of its entire net profit.
More Closures Already In Motion
The submission cites recent retail contraction as proof that the pressure predates any new tax decision.
One large operator closed 39 shops in a single move in early May 2026, and in early September, a separate multiple-operator confirmed that up to 100 shops across Britain and Ireland are under review for closure by year-end, putting around 400 roles at risk.
The IBA expects 40 or more of those closures to fall in Ireland, which, combined with other closures, would put the 2026 total above 80 shops before any Budget 2027 decision is even made.
The association attributes the pressure to rising rents, rates, and energy costs; the near-doubling of remote gaming duty in Britain; the continuing shift to online betting sites; and, in Ireland's case, the added cost of complying with the new licensing regime under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
A Push That Started With A Proposed Rise To 5%
The debate was triggered in May, when the Social Democrats called for betting duty to rise to 5%, a 150% increase, to help fund sports and culture initiatives in disadvantaged areas.
Flutter Entertainment has separately written to Harris, warning against any increase ahead of the budget's release on October 6.
In its submission, the IBA argues any added cost on licensed operators gets passed on through reduced odds and value for customers, while unlicensed operators, which pay no duty, levy or compliance cost, absorb none of that pressure, making them relatively more attractive to price-sensitive bettors the higher the licensed sector's costs climb.
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