Paddy Power and BoyleSports will stop accepting bets on under- 8 sports

PADDY POWER AND BOYLESPORTS QUIT UNDER-18 SPORTS BETTING

In Irish market.

Betting giants Paddy Power and BoyleSports will stop accepting bets on under-18 sports, despite being legally entitled to through a widely condemned loophole in Irelands gambling law, RTE reports.

The topic of betting on under-18 sports has steadily gained traction over the past few weeks with Irelands former Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sports Michael Ring saying he was "appalled" by outdated legalization that allows for gambling on underage sport.

Pre-empting escalation of the issue Paddy Power has since confirmed it will no longer offer Irish under-18 sports betting markets.

“We made the decision independently as we understand that some people have concerns about betting being available on U-18 sports, weve listened and are happy to respond,” a press statement reads.