Last updated January 27th, 2022
Due to payment delays, money laundering breaches, limiting of player accounts – including that of Just Bookies’ founder – and plain bad communication, Just Bookies no longer recommends BoyleSports. We advise you avoid this firm and join one of these bookies instead. Our full BoyleSports review is below.
BoyleSports Bookmaker is one of the largest and well-known of the Irish-based online bookies, employing over a thousand staff. Its current status is a far cry from their early beginnings in 1989 and their first foray onto the internet with abysmal software. Now, with a high-end state-of-the-art online betting system, BoyleSports appeared to have turned from ugly duckling to swan of the betting world. BoyleSports Bookmaker is a high-profile sponsor of many sports including UK football.
OPINION: BoyleSports Bookmaker is an established Irish-based firm. However they are quite badly managed in our opinion. They limit players quicker than any other major firm we have ever encountered and their telephone customer service can be outright rude. We discovered both those things very quickly for ourselves. They do a poor job for recreational sports clients and are not keen to accommodate the bigger-staking punters. The sports betting markets on offer are quite limited compared to the industry leading online sports betting firm. Their casino and poker sections are equally uncompetitive. We would not recommend you join BoyleSports.
BoyleSports Bookmaker Review
BoyleSports Bookmaker, Ireland’s biggest privately-owned bookie, was started by John Boyle from scratch. From a lowly background, he opened a solitary betting shop in 1989 and took it from there.
It was a slow start as he managed his first shop for nearly eight years before deciding to expand. Today he is represented in most Irish towns with in excess of 170 outlets and a staffing level of 1000 employees, but the big winner is his internet betting site.
It was apparent that initially the online betting site got less attention from management than the retail division and that was understandable. Unlike the high street outlets, which in recent years have grown by acquiring chains of existing shops, the growth online has occurred naturally.
The betting website launched in 2002, but it was a damp squib with very poor software provided by a hopeless third party company called “A Bet A” that had simply chucked its already abysmal, crude and rudimentary betting shop software onto the web. BoyleSports Bookmaker soon realised the error of its ways and migrated to a proper betting platform.
The company is also a big supporter of sport, having sponsored a Premier League football team, golf events and numerous high-profile dog and horse races.
Annual turnover has grown from zero in 1989 to €6billion at the current time and profits are circa €30million a year. It is a household name in Ireland and has made huge inroads into the UK betting market, thanks in main to the online site. It is such a shame the firm is scared of taking bets from anyone who gets a few winners and are frightened out of their wits by bigger punters. Savvy customers soon realise they should move on to a better firm.
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Stopped taking my sports bets, even though I have lost long term. They thought I was a good punter who was a risk to them. I only bet small amounts anyway. They didn't close the whole account because they wanted me to play in the casino, but they limited me so I couldn't bet on the horses. Small minded, badly run firm. Avoid Boylesports.
Had an account for about 2 years - loved their site and they were often best price for my particular fancy so was probably my most-used site. I am not a big bettor - usually £5/£10 bets and Lucky 15s. Fortunately I was quite lucky over this period with my account showing a £1,000+ profit. Then, without warning, they stopped taking my bets stating it was their traders decision and couldn't be altered. Ironically, since the account closure over a year ago, I've had probably my worst ever run on the horses which would have resulted in most of the winnings (and counting) being returned to Boylesports!
I bet with them over Cheltenham and they were good. I did not hit any of the limits you talk about but I am not a big bettor.
I agree with your observations. Good firm with fair customer services but will not take anything other than small sports bets. As you have said, other firms take bigger stakes. Otherwise I found Boylesports good, but my sports bets were limited and they refused to discuss it.
I have not found the issues you have highlighted. They have taken biggish stakes from me without limiting.