Betfair to Move UK Operations to Ireland

The exodus of online gambling companies from the UK has continued with the announcement by Betfair that it will relocate its customer operations teams to Ireland.

One hundred new jobs will be created in Dublin under the move, which will also include the establishment of a new data center there.

Chief Executive David Yu said that Ireland was already an attractive option for other online companies and that Betfair was happy to make such an investment.

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Like other big UK companies, Betfair has been involved in a long running dispute with the British government over its controversial 10 percent horse racing levy.

It was reported last month that the company had made contingency plans to follow the lead of rival British online gambling operator William Hill and shift its operations to Gibraltar.

Gross profit tax in Gibraltar is only three percent, far lower than the 15 percent companies are charged in the UK. William Hill moved its online betting services and online fixed-odds games there in the middle of 2010.

About Betfair

Betfair, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, is one of the world's largest online gambling providers. It employs more than 2,000 people around the globe and has some three million registered users.