AK Bets has tripled its presence across UK and Irish racetracks via the acquisition of betting pitches across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and England.
It marks another major step for AK Bets as it expands its presence across both Ireland and the UK, the firm having launched in the latter in March 2025 just four years after its initial foundation in Ireland.
In its latest move, the Dublin business has acquired 45 pitches from Pat O’Hare Bookmakers, a historic Irish racecourse bookmaker founded by the late Newry businessman Pat O’Hare in the 1950s.
Anthony Kaminskas, AK Bets’ Chief Executive Officer, revealed the acquisition of Pat O’Hare’s 45 racing pitches across the UK and Ireland via a LinkedIn post and through AK Bets’ official X account.
According to a Business Post article shared in Kaminskas’ social media posts, AK Bets has paid €3.1m (£2.5m) to acquire Pat O’Hare’s racecourse pitches, in doing so expanding the company’s racecourse presence from 27 to 72.
Writing on LinkedIn, Kaminskas paid tribute to the efforts of the late Pat O’Hare – described by Newry media as a ‘legend’ of the Irish betting industry – and his son Damian, in establishing Pat O’Hare Bookmakers as a formidable betting business across Ireland.
“Over 70+ years Pat, and now Damian, have built the standout racecourse betting operation on the island of Ireland,” he said.
“AK Bets are standing on the shoulders of bookmaking giants with regards to the O’Hare’s and Damian and his wife were nothing but a pleasure to deal with whilst we thrashed out this deal.
“I wish the both of them the very best for the future.”
Where will AK Bets’ UK and Ireland expansion take it?
The pitches include two at the Cheltenham Racecourse in England, where AK Bets previously held one.
The bulk of pitches, 36 to be exact, are located in Ireland, with the deal expanding AK Bets into Northern Ireland for the first time.
The expansions will be overseen by David Tyrell, AK Bets’ Head of On Course Operations.
In the Republic of Ireland, Kaminskas revealed that the deal will:
- Expand its existing presence at Curragh Racecourse in County Kildare, from 18 July.
- Return AK Bets to Navan Racecourse in County Meath.
- Make the firm’s debut at the Ballinrobe Racecourse in County Mayo.
The Curragh expansion could be particularly significant as the racecourse is one of the biggest tracks in the country as the host venue of the five Irish Classic Races – the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Irish Derby, Irish Oaks, and Irish St Leger.
In England and Northern Ireland, the deal will:
- Secure the aforementioned expansion at Cheltenham, home to one of the most important events on the UK and Irish racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival.
- Launch AK Bets at the Down Royal Racecourse, County Down, with four pitches, operated from September.
- Secure a further three pitches at Downpatrick Racecourse, County Down, also from September.
The firm’s Northern Irish operations will depend on licensing approval, however.
Over in England, AK Bets has been active under a Gambling Commission licence for over a year. The Gambling Commission’s remit does not cover Northern Ireland, however, which has its own betting and gaming legislation from 1985.
In the UK, AK Bets has been particularly active in online operations, with Kaminskas and Head of Strategy, Joe Lee, attributing UK growth to factors like the popularity of its pricing and rewards systems.
The expansions do come amid regulatory upheavals in both the Republic of Ireland and UK, however, with UK betting and racing expressing particular frustration with the Gambling Commission’s implementation of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs).
British betting is also now subject to an extensive new tax regime. However, bets on horse racing are excluded from this, meaning AK Bets may be more uniquely positioned to benefit from the current UK landscape than firms with more exposure to online gambling.
Back in the Republic, the newly created Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) took charge of online licensing in July 2026, as the market continues to adjust to the Gambling Regulation Act of 2024.
