Paddy Power reviews 100 UK and Irish shops as 400 jobs face risk

Paddy Power could close up to 100 betting shops across the UK and Ireland before the end of 2026. This would place approximately 400 jobs at risk.

Parent company  Flutter Entertainment has begun reviewing almost one-fifth of the bookmaker’s retail estate as it responds to higher gambling taxes and rising operating costs.

No final decisions have been announced, however. Flutter has not revealed which shops are under consideration or how the closures could be divided between the two countries.

The group currently operates 506 Paddy Power betting shops. This includes 310 in the UK and 196 in Ireland. More than 2,300 people are employed across the estate.

Flutter said it would consult affected employees and seek to offer alternative roles where possible.

“Up to 100 shops are currently under review and being considered for closure between now and the end of the year.” – Flutter

A Flutter UK and Ireland spokesperson described the decision to begin the review as “extremely difficult” and said supporting affected employees would be the company’s immediate priority.

Taxes and operating costs squeeze retail estate

Flutter attributed the review to several pressures. These include higher energy costs, rents, business rates and gambling taxes.

The company said it remained proud of its high street estate and the role its shops play in communities across the UK and Ireland. However, it said the combined financial pressures had forced it to reconsider the viability of some locations.

The announcement follows changes to UK gambling duties that have increased costs for operators with businesses spanning both retail and online betting.

Although some of the largest tax increases apply to remote gambling, operators argue that the effects cannot always be separated neatly between individual parts of an integrated business.

Retail bookmakers must also contend with wage increases and higher property costs, while continuing to respond to the long-term movement of customers towards online and mobile betting.

Paddy Power’s review does not necessarily mean that all 100 shops will close. The final number will depend on the outcome of the consultation and assessment process.

Further closures follow 2025 reduction

The potential closures would mark Paddy Power’s second substantial reduction to its UK and Irish estate in less than a year.

The company closed 57 shops in October 2025. These were 29 locations in the UK and 28 in Ireland. Those closures affected approximately 247 positions.

If the latest review results in all 100 shops closing, Paddy Power will have removed more than 150 locations from its estate across the two countries within little more than a year.

Other major bookmakers have also reduced their retail footprints.

Betfred recently announced plans to close 132 shops, placing more than 600 jobs at risk. Evoke, the company behind William Hill and 888, has also closed hundreds of betting shops as part of its restructuring efforts.

Each operator has its own commercial circumstances, but the decisions point to a wider contraction in Britain and Ireland’s retail betting sector.

Closures could affect British racing

The loss of betting shops could also reduce income flowing into British horseracing.

Retail bookmakers contribute to the sport through the statutory levy and payments for media rights used to show racing in their premises. Fewer shops therefore mean fewer locations making those payments.

When Betfred disclosed its 132 planned closures, the resulting cost to British racing was estimated at approximately £4 million. No equivalent figure has yet been calculated for the Paddy Power review.

The effect would depend on how many shops eventually close and how many are situated in Britain rather than Ireland.

Racing industry leaders have repeatedly warned that further increases in betting taxes could result in shop closures, reduced media-rights income and lower levy receipts.

However, the government has maintained that gambling duties provide important revenue for public services and that changes to the tax system must account for the industry’s continuing shift towards online betting.

Online growth does not remove retail pressures

Flutter owns some of the largest digital gambling businesses in the UK and Ireland, including Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet.

Its online scale places the group in a stronger position than many smaller retail operators, but it does not make every betting shop commercially sustainable.

Physical premises carry costs that online operations do not, while customers increasingly expect to place bets through mobile apps. Shops nevertheless remain significant for horseracing, local employment and customers who prefer cash betting or face-to-face service.

Flutter’s review demonstrates the tension between those two sides of the business. Paddy Power remains one of the most recognisable high street bookmakers in the UK and Ireland, but nearly one-fifth of its current locations may no longer be considered viable.

The consultation will determine how many shops ultimately close and whether some of the approximately 400 affected employees can be moved into alternative roles.