Bar One Racing, owned by prominent Irish racing figure Barney O’Hare, is understood to be in advanced talks with global wagering giant Entain for the purchase of 108 Ladbrokes shops in Ireland and 66 in Northern Ireland.
A deal has yet to be finalised, but if it goes through, O’Hare’s bookmaking footprint will increase significantly as the current owner of 60 outlets.
The majority of Ladbrokes shops are outside of areas where O’Hare operates.
O’Hare is the father of prominent Irish trainer Michael O’Hare.
He founded the business after being involved in the amusement arcade sector in Northern Ireland, and subsequently expanded it through several acquisitions since the early 1990s.
Entain earned about £2 billion ($4.1 billion) in total revenue from the UK and Ireland in the past financial year, including online gaming and traditional, in-shop betting.
Ireland has been a challenging market for Entain, facing strong competition from Paddy Power and Boylesports.