BOYLESPORTS have agreed to buy 33 betting shops in the north from William Hill for an undisclosed sum.
The deal, which also includes two outlets in the Isle of Man, were part of a Stanley Leisure portfolio acquired by William Hill in 2005.
It makes BoyleSports the biggest betting shop operator on the island of Ireland, with 298 stores, some 39 of them north of the border.
The company was founded by John Boyle, a native of Market Hill in Co Armagh.
Chief executive Conor Gray said the deal had realised BoyleSports’ long-held ambition of developing “a meaningful retail presence across Northern Ireland”.
He added: “This acquisition complements our existing retail network in Northern Ireland and our retail network in the Republic of Ireland while also representing a significant step in our long-stated ambition to develop our retail footprint across the UK."
While the deal is already in effect, BoyleSports will not take operational control of all shops for around four weeks.
William Hill confirmed that all staff will transition to the Irish betting firm under existing employment terms and conditions. It’s understood that 220 people will transition to BoyleSports as part of the deal.
BoyleSports, which now has a total of 317 shops across Ireland and the UK, said it has an ambition to expand its UK retail network by 100 by the end of 2020.
