Now that British bookmakers have just a few months until the current 6.75 percent betting duty is replaced by a 15 percent corporate tax on gross profits, Irish bookmakers are champing at the bit for their government to make a similar change.
In 1999, the Irish government had made the first step, dropping duty from 10 percent to 5 percent. Now, that 5 percent surcharge may hinder Irish bookmakers' chances to prosper.
"Betting turnover has probably risen by as much as 45 percent since the reduction in betting tax here, but there is a real danger that much of this business will once again go offshore," Austin Rogers, the tele-betting manager for Terry Rogers Bookmakers, told The Irish Times.
Already the Irish Independent Betting Officers Association (IIBOA) is getting ready to put the pressure on the Minister for Finance. The timing might be right for Ireland to consider a change, something that IIBOA Administrator Brian O'Farrell thinks is possible.
"The Minister has always listened to us and we are expecting a reasonably good response from him," he told The Irish Times.
The IIBOA is hoping that betting duty would drop to 2 percent in shops and 1 percent over the Internet.
Some changes are already afoot, according to John Whelan of Alotto, a gaming technology consulting group. Whelan says that those changes are expected to be part of the Horseracing Ireland Bill that's headed for Parliament. The outbreak of foot and mouth disease delayed the bill's March presentation.
"This act is mainly concerned with merging two horseracing authorities in Ireland into a new authority," he explained, "but is now likely to include a large reduction in betting duty as in the U.K."
Lisa McKeown with Luckymurphys.com also welcomed the British move. "In my opinion, this will have phenomenal impact and would estimate a 30 to 40 percent increase in general business," McKeown said.
She was equally positive about the British announcement impacting the Irish government's stance. "I think without hesitation that the Irish government will be influenced by this move," she added. "The Irish government will have to move quickly to secure Ireland as a destination for gaming investors."