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BoyleSports
Company type	Private company
Industry	Gambling
Founded	1982
Founder	John Boyle
Headquarters	Dundalk, Ireland
Key people	Vlad Kaltenieks (CEO); John Boyle (Chairman)
Products	Sports betting, online casino, online poker, online bingo
Number of employees	2,500
Website	www.boylesports.com

BoyleSports is an Irish gambling company founded in 1982. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. Business operations are led from its headquarters in Dundalk, along with a satellite office in Gibraltar. As of 2023, it has over 320 retail branches throughout Ireland^[1] and the UK.^[2]^[3]

History

BoyleSports was created by John Boyle^[4] in 1982, when he opened his first betting shop in Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In 1989, five locations were opened in Drogheda, and in 2002, 14 new shops were opened.

The organization had 77 shops by August 2004,^[5] and opened its 100th store two years later, in 2006.^[6] In February 2011, BoyleSports took over 17 new shops from Celtic Bookmakers. Later that year, the company consolidated of 15 William Hill shops.^[7]

In July 2017, Conor Gray became CEO after founder John Boyle assumed the role of Executive Chairman.^[8]

In September 2018, BoyleSports opened their 250th shop in Kilcullen, County Kildare, and announced plans to further expand its retail and online businesses.^[9] In June 2019, BoyleSports announced they had entered the UK retail market with the acquisition of independent bookmaker Wilf Gilbert, who ran 13 betting shops in the Midlands for an undisclosed sum.^[10] In January 2020, BoyleSports expanded its operation in Northern Ireland by acquiring 33 William Hill shops, making the company Ireland's biggest retail bookmaker.^[11]

In November 2021, BoyleSports announced an acquisition deal with bookmakers, Tully. The deal includes the acquisition of Tully’s telephone betting business in addition to acquiring ten retail venues. This deal aided in maintaining BoyleSports positions as the largest independent betting operator in Ireland with 268 retail betting shops throughout Ireland.^[12]

In 2021, Mark Kemp, managing director of the UK Tote Group, was announced as the new CEO of BoyleSports following a company restructure.^[13] Former CEO Conor Gray's role was changed to commercial director.^{[citation needed]} In February 2022, it was announced that Kemp would be leaving the company at the end of July 2022.^[14]

Sponsorship

Horse Racing

Since 2010, BoyleSports Champion Chase Day has run at the Punchestown Festival each year. Prize money for the feature race, the Grade 1 BoyleSports Champion Chase, increased from €140,000 to €300,000 between 2010 and 2019. Previous winners include Big Zeb, Sizing Europe, Sprinter Sacre and Un De Sceaux.^{[citation needed]}

In 2014, BoyleSports became the headline sponsor of the Irish Grand National, which runs at Fairyhouse Racecourse each Easter Monday. In August 2016 it was announced that the prize money would be increased to €500,000.^[15] In January 2020, BoyleSports announced that they had pledged €2,000,000 in prize money to extend their sponsorship of the Irish Grand National for a further four years.^[16]

In October 2014, BoyleSports and Irish national broadcaster RTE announced that BoyleSports would become the sponsor of the RTE Racing programmes across TV, radio and online in a deal worth €1,000,000.^[17] In 2017 an extension of their partnership was announced.^[18]

Football

In June 2019, BoyleSports announced they had signed a two-season deal to become the main sponsor of EFL Championship side Birmingham City.^[19] The club stated that this was their biggest sponsorship deal in over a decade. The announcement was made at the official unveiling of the club's home kit at the Birmingham Back to Backs tourist attraction in Birmingham City Centre in a Peaky Blinders-styled launch event.^[20] In April 2021, BoyleSports announced they had extended their sponsorship deal for two more seasons with Birmingham City until 2023.

In 2020, BoyleSports became English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers Molineux betting partner for the 2020/21 season.^[21] BoyleSports extended their partnership with Wolves for the 2021/22 season.^[22]

In August 2020, BoyleSports became the main sponsor of Coventry City.^[23] In 2021, Coventry City announced they had agreed to a two-year extension with BoyleSports.^[24]

In August 2021, BoyleSports was announced as UK and Ireland Betting Partner of English Premier League side Newcastle United.^[25]

Gaelic Football

In 2003, Boylesports agreed to a 3-year sponsorship of the senior Louth GAA team, starting in 2004. A six-figure sum, it was a lucrative and controversial deal for the time.^[26] The Boylesports HQ being located in Dundalk, Co. Louth aided this. This sponsorship lasted until its expiry at the end of 2007.

Darts

In July 2019, BoyleSports announced they had agreed a deal with the Professional Darts Corporation to sponsor the BoyleSports World Grand Prix in the Citywest Convention Centre, running from 2019 to 2021.^[27] Speaking at the launch, Michael van Gerwen stated, "This tournament has something special. The people love it and they come out to support". The tournament is broadcast live on Sky Sports for seven nights each year. In 2020, BoyleSports were announced as the title sponsor of the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts, extending their sponsorship of PDC tournaments.^[28]

Greyhounds

BoyleSports became the headline sponsor in 2014 for the Irish Greyhound Derby held in Shelbourne Park every September. In 2017, an announcement was made detailing the increase in prize money from €240,000 to €300,000 for the 2018 Derby.^[29] In 2021, BoyleSports announced a new three-year extension of their sponsorship of the Irish Greyhound Derby.^[30]

Other

In April 2022, Boyle sports announced its deal with online audio and video betting media company Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), to become official title sponsor of SSG’s golf show.^[31]

Brand ambassadors

Former Republic of Ireland international footballer, Kevin Kilbane, joined BoyleSports as Football Brand Ambassador in 2016. The Match Of The Day and Virgin Media Sport pundit offers insight into upcoming football events for BoyleSports customers in shops and online.^[32]

Also in 2016, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Aintree Grand National and BoyleSports Irish Grand National winning jockey, Robbie "Puppy" Power joined BoyleSports as Horse Racing Ambassador.^[33] ^[34] Previous brand ambassadors have included Stan Collymore,^[35] Joseph O'Brien^[36] and Gordon Elliott.^[37]

In 2021, former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard^[38] and sports broadcaster Natalie Sawyer joined BoyleSports as brand ambassadors ahead of the 2020 UEFA European Championship.^[39]

In 2024, County Carlow based horse trainer, John “Shark” Hanlon joined BoyleSports as “Official Stable Partners”, also launching the #TeamHewick initiative.

Controversies

In June 2012, it was reported that employees of BoyleSports were made to attend training-courses held by Georgina Dolan, an associate of Tony Quinn. The courses used the Educo Model. John Boyle, who had attended an Educo Seminar, said "I believe totally in myself and my business. I am not part of anything other than being John Boyle, the best that John Boyle can be. What I want to do is train people to be the best they can".^[40]^[41]^[42]

In January 2013 Boylesports retained the services of Tom McCarthy, formerly Chief Executive of the Irish Management Institute, to review the corporate training. Boylesports issued a statement including "Mindfulness training served a purpose for the company at a particular time and it is not something that will be offered in future."^[43]

In May 2013 Dialogue Ireland claimed an article about the controversy was their most viewed article with 24,500+ views.^[44]