PADDY Power, Ireland's biggest firm of bookmakers, is expanding to Scotland and is due to announce the first of a dozen shop openings by early next month.
The company has identified Scotland as the first territory outside London to build its presence in the UK, convinced the Scots are similar to the Irish in their approach to gambling.
"We have a strong online customer base in Scotland and Scottish
punters are definitely similar to the Irish," said a spokesman. "They love a flutter and having a bit of fun."
The firm's head of retail, Alan Kerr, is a Scot, as is his deputy Andy McCue, but this was not a factor in the decision, he said.
The firm is the largest provider of fixed-odds betting in Ireland and operates the country's largest telephone and online operations.
It claims to have an unconventional approach towards betting, including a commitment to making low-stake gambling more entertaining and accessible.
The firm is fond of novelty bets on anything from the weather to the name of the new Doctor Who, and likes to be seen as "fair" rather than right. Last week it paid out on a horse that lost because it threw the jockey just before crossing the winning line when well ahead of the rest of the field.
"We also paid out on Stoke City being relegated after the second day of the season," said the spokesman. "It was much to the annoyance of the Stoke fans, but we were looking for a bit of fun."
Glasgow will get the first of the initial phase of Scots shops.
