Blueprint Operations’ Managing Director Andy Tipple has identified Ireland as an important additional market describing it as ‘a very interesting proposition’ with different challenges and opportunities existing on both sides of the border.
Speaking after Blueprint’s participation in the Irish Show, the industry trade event which he acknowledged is small in comparison to EAG Expo but an event that will continue to grow in stature, he said: “By any standards the Irish show is modest in size but there’s no doubt that it plays a fundamental role in understanding what is an evolving market.”
With the 2025 stake and prize increase in Northern Ireland opening up the market Tipple said that Blueprint is closely monitoring developments in the Republic.
“Because the changes that were launched in Northern Ireland match the stake and prize levels in Great Britain, our focus here is on fine tuning our cabinet menus” he stated. “Regarding the market in the Republic of Ireland we very much see this as a learning process.”
Identifying key take-outs from the event he noted: “The Dublin show provided an opportunity to listen to what was a detailed and encouraging overview from Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) regarding the progress the GRAI is making with the gambling review, the current state of play and some insight to a possible regulatory timetable.”
Blueprint plans to approach Ireland deploying a strategy similar to the one it has successfully implemented in the UK, with a focus on establishing and building direct relationships with operators.
“The approach in our domestic market has worked extremely well for our customers. Buy direct continues to deliver so a very similar approach will be used,” Tipple explained. “Undoubtedly there will be a learning curve regarding the machine player customer base. The market intelligence that we have gathered suggests that player preferences in Ireland are likely to align closely with those seen in the UK market, but it is a challenge our development team is really looking forward to addressing.”
With Northern Ireland estimated to be a relatively compact market comprising circa 7,000 machines the scale of the opportunity in the Republic remains unclear until regulatory details are finalised.
Tipple acknowledged: “There is an element of ‘sitting on our hands’ until we know more regarding key areas such as stake and prize levels and machine categories however, having attended the presentation made by Anne Marie Caulfield, I am confident that the process will be structured and measured and as soon as we know the objectives, we will start the development process.
“We are very much on the front foot with clear plans agreed and in place to scale our presence and grow into the markets as the regulatory framework evolves.
“There’s no doubt that the journey will be a learning process but it is one that we are very happy to be a part of.”
