Online sports betting and casino gambling website, Betfair, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Irish Football Association and Horse Racing Ireland, and it does not appear (so at least Betfair is saying) that the agreement came about as a direct result of the recent betting scandal to hit Ireland. On the contrary, Betfair's International Public Affairs Officer, Alex Eade, said the agreement (a three year, 4.5 million Euro deal) was simply the carrying out of the sports betting company's policy regarding large-scale betting markets where Betfair offers its punting services.

Betfair indeed has a large presence in Ireland already, and so while the scandal surrounding the Armagh City and Glenavon game in April of this year most certainly drew some attention, Betfair says their agreement with Horse Racing Ireland amounted to Betfair doing its part in giving back to the industry from which it profits. Considering that the company has twenty-two similar Memorandum of Understanding's with large sports organizations around the globe, and an estimated one million registered bettors, the memorandum with Ireland was by no means a financial burden for Betfair.

Included in the agreement with IFA and HRI is that Betfair will now be required to supply information (including betting statistics) to both groups if there is speculation of match fixing. Exact figures of the deal include a 10% payout of all profits made on Irish horse racing events to the HRI. This percentage of funds will go to the HRI from both Irish and non-Irish bettors, thus making it a unique deal, and backing up Betfair's word and promise to uphold the integrity of sports betting as now dictated by the UK Gambling Act.

Although Betfair is very strict about not letting bettors open accounts from countries where online casino gambling and internet sports betting is prohibited, they are in support of an open European iGaming market that allows online bettors from other European Union countries to participate in betting activities at regulated operators.