Paddy Power Biopic to Chart Rise of Irish Betting Giant
A feature film documenting the growth of Paddy Power from a Dublin bookmaker into one of the world’s most recognisable gambling brands has been announced, with an ensemble cast of established Irish actors attached to the project.
Brian Gleeson, Colm Meaney, Aidan Gillen and Alex Murphy will lead the cast of the film, which carries the working title “Paddy Power.” Directing duties have been assigned to Matt Lipsey, whose television credits include “Ted Lasso,” “Inside No. 9” and “Little Britain.”
The project is produced by Playhouse Studios and represents the first title to be unveiled from the company’s original scripted slate. Reports indicate that the production has been positioned as an “inherently Irish origin story,” reflecting the brand’s deep roots in the Irish bookmaking tradition.
Source Material
The film will be based on “Punters,” a book by Business Post journalist Aaron Rogan that examines the history of the Dublin-based operator. The adaptation is expected to recount how the company built its reputation through provocative, brash advertising while expanding from high-street betting shops into online gambling – a period that coincided with rapid growth across the sector, as well as mounting scrutiny of gambling-related harm.
Industry Context
Paddy Power was founded in 1988 and has since become one of the most distinctive brands in the betting industry, known in particular for its unconventional and often controversial marketing. The company is now part of Flutter Entertainment, one of the largest online gambling groups globally.
For industry observers, the project underscores the extent to which the story of modern bookmaking – the shift from retail to digital, the rise of bold brand personalities, and the regulatory debates that followed – has entered mainstream cultural storytelling. It also arrives at a time when gambling advertising and its societal impact remain subjects of active public discussion in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.
