One hundred jobs are being created in Northern Ireland due to the British government’s decision to abolish betting tax, it was announced today.
Leading bookmaker Sean Graham said 40 jobs would be created immediately, a further 40 by the start of World Cup 2002 and another 20 by December next year. They employ 250 in the North.
The bookmaker also announced it was soon to launch seangraham.com as an interactive betting site.
The firm said they "strongly believe that we have the product to compete in the global multibillion-pound market and grow substantially with the level playing field created by the abolition of betting tax".
The company said it had resisted the temptation to take its telephone betting operation offshore where tax-free betting had already been in operation for some time. It hopes its locally based operation will now be better based to compete.
Sean Graham said a major refurbishment of its betting shops to provide more comfortable surroundings - including air conditioning, soft seating and carpets - was being done as part of a drive to "dispel the widely held myth that a bookmaker's destiny lies in the back streets".
PA