September 2010 by Paul G.
For those of you who enjoy a punt, there are only really three or four bookmakers or 'bookies' (known to our U.S. friends as an OTB shop - Off-Track Betting) which dominate the market in Belfast - Paddy Power, Ladbroke's, and Sean Graham's. There are a few others, but these are the main ones. The thing about this bookies, apart from the fact that it's clean, well-laid out, and carpeted, is that they have a special offer on a specific bet - the Lucky 15 (which is a hugely popular bet) has a 20% bonus in this shop. I won't bore non-gamblers with the intricate details of this bet, but for those of you visiting Belfast who enjoy a bet (as you will soon learn to do if you're going to be in pubs in Belfast at the weekend, all of which will be showing racing and football), you simply pick four selections of horses, soccer teams, etc., and choose your stake. 15 is the number of permutations of bets from four selections (four singles, six doubles, four trebles, and a quad). If you're lucky enough to get all four up, this Paddy Power shop will give you a 20% bonus, which is an excellent incentive to bet there, as opposed to Ladbroke's (see my review).