Ladbrokes Is Set to Close a Third of Its Irish Retail Betting Shops
by Roy Brindley,
1 April 2026
Ladbrokes Ireland has announced it will close over a third of its Irish betting shops during the coming months.
Ladbrokes Ireland unveiled its ‘shops of the future’ in 2021. In the coming months, it will close over a third of its retail outlets.
Key Facts:
- Ladbrokes announces it is closing 39 of its Irish betting shops.
- 226 Irish jobs are reportedly in jeopardy.
- Closures mean Ladbrokes’ estate has shrunk by over 66 per cent since the late 2000s.
The Ladbrokes name is set to become scarce on Irish streets following the news that the bookmaking company will close up to 39 of its shops on the island in the coming months. With a little more than 100 shops in the Irish Republic, the closure means 37% of its retail estate will vanish.
Northern Ireland, where the latest figures suggest the 140-year-old company currently operates around 60 shops, is also set to see closures. However, a story in the Irish Times suggests only a “small number” of these are at risk.
The closures will land a further blow to the Irish jobs market. 226 jobs are reportedly in jeopardy due to the decision. A similar shuttering of 28 Irish Paddy Power shops in late 2025 saw 119 jobs put in danger. The same firm closed 21 Irish shops in 2023, resulting in the loss of 78 jobs.
Ladbrokes Irish Retail Estate Has Shrunk by Two-Thirds
In the late 2000s, it is believed Ladbrokes operated 207 shops in the Irish Republic. While the Entain-owned business will continue to employ more than 350 people in Ireland after the closures, its roadside presence has dropped by more than two-thirds since its peak.
With a new warehouse at the course, Colin McHugh of Ladbrokes Ireland explains how it could be a £1 million week at #punchestown 2025. pic.twitter.com/nm7Nhnmqa4
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@BettingSitesCom) May 2, 2025
In a statement, the company said: “We continually review our retail estate to ensure our business remains competitive and financially sustainable. These planned closures in the Republic of Ireland are not a decision we take lightly and reflect sustained cost pressures, long‑term changes in customer behaviour and the growing competitive threat from the unlicensed market.”
“Our priority now is to engage constructively with colleagues throughout the consultation process, with a strong focus on redeployment wherever possible. Ladbrokes remains committed to Ireland and to operating responsibly within a sustainable retail footprint.”
Ladbrokes First Significant Irish Cull in 2015
Other brands owned by Entain PLC include the UK land-based and online betting company, Coral. PartyCasino, Gala, Foxy and Eurobet also form part of Entain’s portfolio, while the company has a 50% stake in Bet MGM in the US.
Entain (then called GVC Holdings) acquired Ladbrokes Coral in March 2018 in a deal valued at around £4 billion. Beforehand, Ladbrokes’ Irish retail estate had endured some troubled times.
In mid-2015, a troubled Ladbrokes Ireland had exited court examinership – a legal, court-supervised process designed to rescue insolvent but viable companies – after the High Court approved a survival plan put forward by its examiner.
The company restructured its retail operations, reducing its store estate from 196 locations to around 144 in the Irish Republic. Its parent company invested additional capital to clear debts and successfully reversed the performance of the retail division that had lost €5 million the previous year.
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