BoyleSports continues to back retail with Stevenage Old Town opening

BoyleSports has announced that it has opened another UK-based shop – in Stevenage Old Town.

The Ireland-founded group has explained how it is ‘enhancing the town centre’ with the betting brand, along with offers and customer facilities.

Dan Robinson, Retail Machine Manager UK and NI at BoyleSports, said on LinkedIn: “This one is by far the best Betting Shop in the local area, so come and give us a try and meet our friendly shop team at 67-69 High Street, Stevenage, SG1 3AG – lots of free car parking right outside the front door too!”

He added that BoyleSports has plans for further UK retail openings ‘very soon’, following the firm’s acquisition of Manchester high-street betting chain LewisBet, securing and opening nine new premises in the city.

Last August, SBC reported that although shutters were closing across the UK’s high-streets, BoyleSports was clearly not disheartened as its UK retail expansion continued.

The Irish bookmaker’s new betting shop, located Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, had just completed its first full weekend of business, having opened on the 19th of that month. 

At the time, this marked the firm’s seventh UK opening since April, and brought its retail estate on the British mainland to a total of 28 shops, with an additional two operating on the Isle of Man. 

As of April 2023, the acquisition of the nine betting offices in the Manchester area now takes BoyleSports’ British retail estate to 44 shops.

The gambling company continues to go full-steam ahead with a UK retail rollout, after having long pursued an expansion outside the domestic Irish market where it first began as a single store in Markethill, Co. Armagh back in 1982.

Speaking with SBC last year in Deansgate, Manchester, BoyleSports’ Director of Property and Development, Lee Otter, elaborated on the growth of the company’s high street presence, and emphasised why retail will continue to be a safe bet for the operator because of the significance of a community feeling. 

“I have 100% confidence in retail staying strong, and I think that comes down to the fundamental difference between being online and in a betting shop, which is the social environment,” he said.

“Customers get the general experience of being around like-minded people and the feeling of having cash in your hand, but it predominantly revolves around that social interaction. That’s why for us it’s incredibly important to get the environment spot on to facilitate that.”