Paddy Power Set to Close Drogheda Betting Shop, Six Jobs at Risk

^{St Laurence Gate in Drogheda, near the Bolton Square betting shop set to close. (Photo: William Murphy / Wikimedia Commons)}

Paddy Power is preparing to close its Bolton Square betting shop in Drogheda, putting six jobs at risk, according to local Aontu representative Michael O'Dowd, who said he learned of the closure this week.

'I learned today that sadly six more jobs are to go in Drogheda with the impending closure of Paddy Power in Bolton Square,' O'Dowd said, as reported by the Drogheda Independent. 'Tough news for Breda and all the great staff there.'

Part of a Wider Retail Review

The Bolton Square closure would come as Paddy Power's parent company, Flutter Entertainment, continues to reshape its high street footprint across Ireland and the UK. Flutter confirmed earlier this month it is reviewing the closure of up to 100 shops, roughly a fifth of the Paddy Power retail estate, putting around 400 jobs at risk in total.

A Flutter UK & Ireland spokesperson said, in a statement reported by the Irish Mirror on 3 September 2026: 'We are incredibly proud of our high street estate, and it remains a key part of our business in communities across the UK and Ireland. Unfortunately, we have had to take the extremely difficult decision to conduct this review.'

The spokesperson pointed to 'rising costs, fierce competition, economic uncertainty and the shift to online', as well as 'a material impact from the higher gambling taxes announced in last year's UK budget', as the drivers behind the review. Flutter said affected staff would be offered redeployment where possible. Paddy Power currently operates 506 betting shops across the UK and Ireland, according to the company.

Company Yet to Confirm Individual Closure

Paddy Power had not responded to a request for comment on the Bolton Square shop specifically at the time of the Drogheda Independent's report, and the company has not published its own list of confirmed closures or a timetable for the wider review.

The Bolton Square premises is one of several Paddy Power locations in Drogheda. Its closure, if confirmed, would mark another loss from the town's traditional retail offering as betting shops nationally continue to shrink in number while operators direct more investment toward online betting and slots products.

'Tough news for Breda and all the great staff there,' O'Dowd said, describing the impact on the shop's long-serving employees.

Part of a Longer Retail Decline

Flutter's review follows a separate round of 57 Paddy Power shop closures across Ireland and the UK in late 2025, part of a broader industry shift as bookmakers consolidate their physical estates in response to changing customer habits and the growth of online betting and gaming.

Paddy Power's parent company is Ireland's largest listed gambling operator and also owns Betfair in the UK and FanDuel in the United States. The Bolton Square staff have not yet been formally notified of a closure date, according to the Drogheda Independent's report.