The firm recently extended its partnership with West Ham United after The Hammers’ relegation from the Premier League.
Rather than viewing relegation negatively, Kaltenieks believes it creates another chance for West Ham to add another intriguing chapter to the story.
It also offered up a unique opportunity, given the incoming front-of-shirt sponsorship ban in the Premier League would have prevented the company from having its logo on the front of West Ham kits should they have stayed up.
“They got relegated, but I think being in the Championship is hugely exciting as well.”
“The club has such a wonderful story and they have such a strong and supportive fanbase, and to continue to support that is fantastic. It’s just great to be part of that journey, and to see how the next season is going to pan out, and hopefully they make it back into the Premier League.
“Last season, we were rooting for them to be successful and what happened happened, but I think that’s probably going to give the club and the fans more of an injection of energy to continue to fight and to climb back. For us to be able to support that is a privilege.
“We’re an independent Irish bookmaker that is a challenger brand in the UK. For us, that visibility is super important.”
The opportunities and challenges brought by the GRAI’s introduction
With Ireland’s new gambling regulatory framework coming into force, Kaltenieks said BOYLE Sports welcomes clearer rules for the industry.
To recap, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has now taken charge of the online Irish betting market, with regulations being overhauled.
At the start of this month, it took on licensing duties for online betting companies, a role previously held by Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners.
As part of the GRAI’s remit, the organisation will look to enforce operator compliance with regulatory requirements, create and administer a Social Impact Fund to support gambling harm prevention, create and manage a national gambling exclusion register, and impose licensing obligations on areas such as advertising.
On the GRAI, Kaltenieks said: “One thing about myself is I’m maybe too optimistic. My thinking is like: ‘this is happening, how do we turn it into the biggest opportunity for our customers and ourselves?’
“We’ve been following a voluntary code of conduct for many, many years in Ireland before this regulation was announced, and so we actually welcome this.
“Yes, it’s good to have a well-drafted set of rules that define that framework that we can operate in, and to continue to do that in a responsible way to make sure that we’re looking after our customers.
“It would be silly not to say that we’re not going to look at the ways of growing, but ultimately, what I’d like to do is to make sure that people have an opportunity to play in a responsible and safe environment.
“I’d rather see customers migrate to regulated, licensed retail and digital environments than to be lost to black market.”
400 up – what’s next?
Although BOYLE Sports previously operated in South Africa, Kaltenieks confirmed the business is now concentrating solely on its core markets.
Looking ahead, the company plans to continue investing across both retail and technology.
Last year BOYLE Sports committed more than £100m of investment, much of which was put towards supporting further shop openings and digital development.
“I’m a huge believer that technology and product drives the customer experience,” Kaltenieks continued.
“AI has infused a new level of opportunity and maybe challenge in itself… for us it’s thinking about how to integrate that, but also how to make sure that we’re protecting more customers as well.”
While international expansion remains a possibility, Kaltenieks suggested acquisitions would be favoured over entering new markets organically.
Despite higher taxes in the UK, regulatory reform in Ireland and continued debate around the future of betting shops, Kaltenieks remains optimistic about the sector’s prospects.
“I think, for sure, the UK is a huge opportunity for us. The market is going to get reshaped.
“You can see some big moves there as well – some brands are entering and others are exiting, but I’m positioning the business to be in the best possible spot to capture the opportunity – and capture it in a responsible way.
“We can get bogged down in negative views, but I think one of my tasks as a leader is to be grounded, and find a way to position ourselves to be able to capitalise on any opportunities.”
Dingnews.com 06/07/2026