Bookmakers to Operate in Corporate Areas at Punchestown

For the first time, Bookmakers will be operating in specified Corporate Areas at the Punchestown Festival.

14 Bookmakers will be providing betting services throughout the Event Centre, Festival Pavilion and Punchestown Pavilion. These will be linked back to each of the Bookmakers main pitch in the betting ring and the customer will be offered the same price and terms and conditions as if they were placing their bet in the betting ring.

Commenting on this development Caroline Gray, Manager of the Betting Division in Horse Racing Ireland stated; 'This is a very welcome development in terms of increasing the services offered to customers in these areas. There has been huge growth in corporate entertaining at racecourses over the past number of years and up to this, this market has been untapped by Bookmakers. Over the past number of weeks we have worked with the Irish National Bookmakers Association and the Association of Irish Racecourses in order to include betting in such areas into the Racecourse Executives´ Seniority and Pitch Rules, the set of rules by which the day to day operation of bookmakers on a racetrack are governed. We have had excellent co-operation between all parties to our discussions which has enabled this trial in Punchestown to take place.'

Commenting on behalf of the AIR, Chief Executive Paddy Walsh commented; 'I am delighted to have reached agreement with the Bookmakers and HRI on this issue. This will provide an improved level of service to customers in these areas as well as increasing revenue streams for the racecourses.'

Ciaran O´Tierney, PRO of the INBA said; 'I welcome all aspects of the agreement to update the rules governing on course betting. The fact that Bookmakers will now be in a position to service private corporate areas at Punchestown will hopefully prove to be beneficial to the betting public, the racecourse and tall Bookmakers alike.'