Peter O?Grady Walshe, outgoing finance director of Power Leisure, revealed plans to open a call centre in Scotland by the end of the year. He also said users logging on to the company?s website would be directed to its UK-based service.
He said his company would be persuaded to stay in Ireland only if an instant cut in betting duty from five percent to one percent is made.
The UK government is scrapping betting duty three months ahead of schedule much to the delight of the UK?s main bookmakers Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral.
The government?s aim to repatriate these businesses seems to have worked. Ladbrokes this week announced it would employ a further 1,000 staff in the UK and invest #40m ($57m) in high street betting.
Further evidence the UK is becoming the preferred location for the online gaming industry was highlighted on Monday when online bookmaker UKbetting.com said it planned to raise #7m ($10m) in a flotation on the Alternative Investment Market.
The business was sold by Enic, the sports group that owns English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur.
The UK government was persuaded to scrap betting duty after prominent bookmakers such as Victor Chandler, who?s business is reported to be the subject of a takeover from horse breeder John Magnier, was forced to operate offshore in areas such as Gibraltar. The move forced the likes of Ladbrokes to base their telephone operations offshore too.
Warren Bartlett, chairman of the British Betting Offices' Association (BBOA), told sportbusiness.com
Power Leisure, the Irish-based bookmaker, has put additional pressure on the Irish government to further cut betting duty after announcing plans to move its online and telephone operations to the UK where the nine percent betting tax on punters will be scrapped on October 6.Online Gambling: The Regulation of Global Sports Betting: A new report from SportBusiness Group: Click here
