Paddy Power is closing down 21 of its retail betting outlets in Ireland. The move comes as Paddy Power’s parent company Flutter Entertainment looks to consolidate activities in better performing outlets and move past the upheavals of the Covid-era.
The 21 shops facing closure currently employ around 78 people, the vast majority of whom have been offered other jobs across the company. Paddy Power officials acknowledge that, despite their efforts at redeployment, the move would ultimately cost the company a small number of job losses.
In a statement reported on by iGaming Business, Paddy Power chief commercial officer David Newton was quick to point out that the closures were the results of market conditions, not employee performance. “As with all businesses in the retail sector, we regularly review our estate to ensure we are operating efficiently and meeting the evolving needs of our customers Indeed, a well-invested retail estate remains a key component of our omnichannel strategy. While the majority of our estate continues to perform well and is growing market share, we have decided to close a number of underperforming shops,” he pointed out.
Newton’s words do, indeed, ring true as the company is retaining 230 retail outlets across Ireland.
The shops earmarked for closure include locations in Goatstown in Dublin, Dominick Street in Galway, Dillon’s Cross in Cork City and Skibbereen in west Cork; as well as shops in counties Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.
Despite these real estate-related closures, Paddy Power and Flutter Entertainment remain among the most successful gaming operators on the planet.