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Table Of Content :

Ireland Considers Higher Betting Duty Ahead of Budget 2027

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Altay
Altay Celikkaya
Content Manager
Updated:
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ireland’s betting industry is facing renewed uncertainty over taxation ahead of Budget 2027, with reports suggesting the government is considering an increase to the country’s existing 2% duty on betting stakes. No new rate for the main betting duty has been formally announced, leaving operators focused on the potential impact of any increase on retail margins, employment and the regulated market.

The current 2% rate applies to both over-the-counter betting and remote betting. Industry opposition has been led by the Irish Bookmakers Association, whose Budget 2027 submission calls for the rate to remain unchanged while operators adjust to higher costs and Ireland’s new regulatory framework.

Irish flag waving over a Dublin cityscape with the text Ireland Eyes Higher Betting Tax on a dark green news-style background.

Regulation & Compliance

Key Takeaways From Ireland’s Betting Tax Debate

  • Ireland currently applies a 2% duty to both retail and remote betting stakes

  • No higher rate for the main betting duty has yet been formally confirmed

  • The IBA says Ireland now has 643 betting shops compared with 1,385 in 2008

  • The trade body says 222 shops have closed since the 2019 duty increase was announced

  • Operators are also absorbing licensing and compliance costs under Ireland’s new regulatory regime

  • A separate pool betting duty is planned for Budget 2027 but its final structure remains subject to government decisions

IBA Warns Against Another Betting Duty Increase

The IBA argues that another tax increase would arrive while Ireland’s retail betting sector is already contracting. According to its submission, 222 betting shops have closed since the previous duty increase was announced in 2018, with roughly 1,000 retail jobs lost over that period. The association says 643 shops are currently trading, down from 1,385 in 2008.

The IBA said:

The current rate already exceeds the net profit of the retail sector. It should not be increased.

The organisation also points to declining retail turnover and rising operating costs. Its figures show retail turnover falling from €2.9 billion in 2018 to €2.26 billion, while operating costs increased 10.1% over the past year. These figures form part of the industry’s argument that additional taxation could make smaller locations increasingly difficult to operate.

That pressure is already visible among major operators. Flutter is currently conducting a review of up to 100 Paddy Power betting shops across the UK and Ireland, with around 400 roles potentially affected. The review does not mean all locations will close, but it illustrates the broader cost pressure affecting retail betting businesses.

New Regulation Adds Another Layer of Cost

Tax is only one part of the changing operating environment. Companies are also adapting to Ireland’s new gambling licensing and enforcement framework, which has introduced new licensing, compliance and reporting requirements under the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.

The IBA argues that the full financial effect of the new regime is not yet clear. Operators face licensing fees, staff training requirements, new reporting systems and other compliance costs while the market transitions to the new framework.

Similar cost pressures are affecting operators in neighbouring markets, although the tax systems are different. Entain has recently linked a proposed workforce review to higher tax and operating costs in the UK, showing how taxation can influence broader cost-control decisions across large betting groups.

Ireland’s government has separately said it intends to legislate for a pool betting duty charge in Budget 2027 as the new licensing regime expands the number of businesses potentially able to offer pool betting. The design and rate of that duty remain subject to the budget process.

For operators, the central issue will therefore be whether Budget 2027 changes the main 2% betting duty in addition to the planned pool betting measure. Until the government publishes its final tax decisions, a broader increase remains a proposal under discussion rather than a confirmed policy.