Ireland's course bookies eye summer comeback as shops prepare for Monday return

Irish National Professional Bookmakers Association chairman Ray Mulvaney is optimistic that course layers could return to the country's racecourses as soon as owners or the wider public are permitted to attend meetings.

Bookmakers have been absent from tracks since the Sunday before the 2020 Cheltenham Festival but hopes have been raised of a return as the sport waits for government approval to stage pilot events in July.

Mulvaney said: "As soon as crowds can come back – and depending on whatever size of crowds are allowed in – we're hoping that some bookmakers will be back on a racecourse," said Mulvaney.

"It would be in small numbers at first. We could go back as three, six or ten depending on crowd sizes, but hopefully our members will get behind us. Everyone understands the importance of getting it right."

Ray Mulvaney: 'When we go back our service will be improved'Credit: Patrick McCann

Officials at Galway told the Racing Post last week the Ballybrit venue would welcome a pilot event at the summer festival with open arms, albeit it would likely to be only in limited numbers.

Mulvaney said: "If we could get to Galway it would be great. We're hoping that in August time we can begin to think about how we're going to get back to normality. The bookmakers certainly want to play their part.

"We won't know exactly until when we come back, but I hope all the members will return and we'll look to do deals with the tracks [in terms of pitch fees]. When we go back our service will be improved.

"We'll have facilities to use debit cards, Revolut and new software for our machines. The ability to place multiples, whether it be across-the-card doubles or Yankees, our software has been improved and I hope our service will be better."

A return to business appears more immediate for betting shop operators, with next Monday slated for their reopening after a stop-start 14 months.

Sharon Byrne: 'I'm not aware of anyone not likely to return'Credit: Patrick McCann

Irish Bookmakers Association chair Sharon Byrne said: "We seem to have light at the end of the tunnel but we're not just there yet. Everyone is getting their shops ready with all the various Covid-19 protocols in place and we all still need to be careful."

She added: "I'm not aware of anyone not likely to return. The government incentives, including some of the ones for smaller operators, have been helpful. They've helped them stay afloat until reopening."

However, Byrne believes retail outlets, which have been closed since January 1, face a real challenge to ensure customers who have started betting online during the lockdown return to shops.

"It's one thing we're very fearful about," she said. "It'll be different to earlier lockdowns because anyone who might have been holding out for shops to open did it [online] for Cheltenham."

She added: "The impact of online will be profound when the shops reopen. They will have a battle on their hands to bring people back and show the social aspect of how it's a little more enjoyable maybe than betting alone on their phones. It's probably going to be one of the biggest challenges."

Read more:

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