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Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Seán Quinn is back in business with a new online betting venture

The ex-billionaire is taking a punt on QuinnBet.

EX-BILLIONAIRE SEÁN Quinn is back in business after launching a new online betting outlet called QuinnBet.

According to the company’s website – which carries the famous ‘Q’ branding – QuinnBet is looking to target the UK and Irish sports betting industry, which is dominated by giants such as Paddy Power-Betfair.

QuinnBet is described as a “wholly Irish-owned company” that’s based in the Republic.

“We intend competing in the industry by placing customer value, service and experience to the fore,” it says on the site, promising punters “competitive odds in a wide range of markets”.

The firm’s “online casino” is due to launch in the coming weeks offering odds on a wide range of sports including GAA, Australian rules football, soccer and horse racing.

QuinnBet says it is regulated under Irish law, while its London-headquartered partner FSB Technology has been licensed by the UK gambling authorities.

However the fledgling venture faces fierce competition, with all the major bookmakers boasting well-established online gambling offerings.

Company documents

According to filings with the Companies Registration Office, QuinnBet is owned by a Cavan-based outfit called Belbridge Consultancy Ltd. That company also owns other businesses called Quinncasino and Quinnsports.

Seán Quinn Jnr, Stephen Kelly and Seamus McMahon are listed as directors of Belbridge Consultancy. The senior Quinn is not listed as a director. Documents show that, as of 3 December 2016, McMahon owned 100% of the company’s shares.

However, a spokesman told  Fora that QuinnBet is wholly owned by Seán Quinn. He added that the company “will be managed by his son Sean Jnr with other wider family members assisting”.

Rise and fall

The rise and fall of Seán Quinn Snr is one of Ireland’s greatest business stories.

The self-made man from Fermanagh started in the 1970s and built an empire through the Quinn Group across a smattering of industries, from cement to glass to hotels.

Sean Quinn case. Businessman Sean QuinSean Quinn junior and seniorSource: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

In 2008, Quinn was considered Ireland's richest man with a fortune worth more than €4.7 billion.

Just three years later, he filed for bankruptcy. Losses at the Quinn Group's insurance and property subsidiaries left it insolvent. The family-owned group also made massive losses after gambling on shares in Anglo Irish Bank.

Quinn was sentenced to nine weeks in jail in 2012 after he was embroiled in a High Court battle with IBRC, the former Anglo Irish Bank.

Quinn was found guilty of contempt of court after he and some family members stripped assets from their property portfolio in Europe to put them beyond the reach of the now state-owned bank, to which it owed millions of euro.

There was a lot of local support for Quinn in Fermanagh and Cavan before his sentencing, with Fermanagh GAA Convention among the organisations championing the businessman.

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Written by Conor McMahon and posted on Fora.ie

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    Mute The Divils Avocado
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:33 AM

    Oh great.. Now let’s get a gas guzzling tow truck to come out and start up the compressor to reinflate the tyres..

    656
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    Mute A Kelly
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:56 PM

    @The Divils Avocado: why would you call a tow truck? Just use the compressor that’s supplied with the vehicle to re inflate the tyres?

    27
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    Mute iohanx
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    Nov 12th 2021, 3:41 PM

    @A Kelly:

    Most cars don’t have these, besides if you did you’re spending more time with the engine on inflating your Tyres. Dear oh dear.

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    Mute Funky63
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    Nov 12th 2021, 8:45 PM

    @A Kelly: Devil’s a bit Dim

    2
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    Mute A Kelly
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    Nov 12th 2021, 9:53 PM

    @iohanx: eh most cars do have these and my suggestion was not an attempt to save the planet! It’s simply the quickest most obvious solution for the owners of these cars to get their cars back on the road! DEAR!

    1
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    Mute Bridie Gubbins
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:55 AM

    The would want their heads deflating.. they are turning the public against them doing stunts like this and not gaining support. How would you react if you went to your car and some green fingerd bell end has deflated all your tyres ?

    414
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    Mute a
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:55 AM

    I’d hazard a safe guess and say the great unwashed unemployed let the air out of the tyres of the employed supporting them.

    343
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    Mute Jonathan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:34 AM

    All grand but the cars could have been needed for an emergency

    278
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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:24 AM

    @Jonathan: Emergencies?
    Are they ambulances ?

    56
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    Mute Damo
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:49 AM

    @ChronicAnxiety: you know what he meant…if you don’t climate change is the least of your worries…

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:59 AM

    @Damo: Cameron was late for his eloclution classes?

    9
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    Mute andyearley
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:22 PM

    @Damo: pick your kid up from school who fell and smashed his teeth as my son did last week. Ambulances dont get called for that stuff

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    Mute Damo
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:57 PM

    @andyearley: I’m guessing that you’re replying to the wrong person…

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    Mute Damo
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:25 PM

    @ChronicAnxiety: Glasgow is well known for its elocution alright…

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Nov 13th 2021, 12:06 AM

    @andyearley: How did we manage without SUVs ?

    2
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    Mute Ian McDonald
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:45 AM

    Well that’s one way to win support for your cause……

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    Mute Mike Murray
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:53 AM

    They were only setting the air free. Air was not meant to be put in a rubbery cage

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    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:27 PM

    @Mike Murray: LOL

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    Mute Raymond Barry
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:44 AM

    Dipsticks.

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    Mute David Harold
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:53 AM

    @Raymond Barry: They want for the tyres. Not the oil.

    47
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    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:35 AM

    The gas thing in Ireland is that we have zero incentives for EV’s and zero infrastructure. EV’s here have massive govt duties on them. Our govt has been championing diesel for the last 15 years even though the most ot Europe recognised that diesel is a far worse polluter than petrol. The duty on petrol has gone so high that running a diesel car is cheaper. Now they’ve increased the duty on diesel. If you live outside a city in Ireland there is no alternative to a car. Most of our trains run on diesel even.

    For any play to work we need good foundations. At the minute the decisions being made are with zero thought and are just contributing to making everything more expensive with no alternatives.

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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:22 PM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: and we certainly won’t have enough electric car mechanics in many more people switch over

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    Mute Type17
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    Nov 12th 2021, 5:55 PM

    @Ian James Burgess: People can train in new technologies, you know. Over the last century, car mechanics have had to learn about coils replacing magnetos, fuel injection replacing carbs, electronic ignition replacing points and the introduction of hydraulic power steering, then electric power steering, OBD, CAN-BUS, ABS, ESP. I think that they’ll manage.

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:23 PM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: no incentives? Are you extracting the Dalry water or what? Grants, subsidies, low tax, no VRT, cheapest fuel with no excise duty ? And all paid for those if us NIT driving EV …

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:55 AM

    No need for the vast majority of these ‘Chelsea Tractors’.

    91
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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:05 AM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: how do you know these SUV’s weren’t electric, or Hybrid ? This is is mindless vandalism and hopefully the perpetrators by dint of seeking publicity on this, will get identified and prosecuted.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:07 AM

    @John Moylan: Even if they were electric, my comment is still true. There is no need for the vast majority of SUVs.

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    Mute Patrick Brompton
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:59 AM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: I use my 4×4 off-road for about 2% of its annual use. When I do use it off-road, there is literally no alternative available. When driving on-road I get between 28-30 mpg average and 33 mpg on a long run – I suspect that is better than a Mini would get in city traffic. I admit to enjoying its powerful Diesel engine for cruising, the high driving position, looking over hedges, and the feeling of security when driving in filthy weather. My car is already 12 years old and I plan to run it until it expires of old age and then replace it with a plug-in hybrid. If you want to criticise me for having a large carbon tyre-print, fair do’s, but in mitigation I don’t do foreign holidays or travel by plane more than twice a year, if even that.

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    Mute Kevin Farrell
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:52 PM

    @Patrick Brompton: 33 mpg on a long run??? Seriously, you think that’s good? I get more than double that on a long run in my 2013 plugin Prius, and 60 mpg in a suburban area, and that’s before I plug it in!

    13
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    Mute Rex Tilson
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:01 PM

    @Patrick Brompton: I’ve got a 10 year old 4×4, plan on running it into the ground as well, can’t believe for one minute that scrapping it for an electric would make any sense from a carbon footprint as the vast footprint of producing a new electric vehicle to be run on electricity that may well be sourced to a significant degree by fossil fuel generating power stations. In addition these early electric vehicles will be superseeded by vastly improved models or hydrogen tech within a few years so why do it now when the tech/sensible option is not yet realistic. However you need to look at your foreign travel, if everybody flew abroad twice a year in the west Cavan would have seaside property within a decade. Don’t get why were all being pushed (taxed) to go green to save the planet but its OK to danamage the planet if u can pay destroy it. Why don’t they give everybody a carbon allowance (like rationing during the war), then we wouldn’t have to be told what to do by those who do what they want and we could hit our targets that way.

    20
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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:27 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: it’s not for you to decide what anyone else wants, or needs. This isn’t the USSR.

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:29 PM

    @Kevin Farrell: 33mog is great. I’m on 24mpg. #noregrets

    1
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    Mute Shane McGivern
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:11 AM

    Have they been to America? The chances of seeing a VW golf sized car here is about the same chance as getting free medical care. 5.7L V8 is a norm, poor Mrs Jones and her 2.5L 4WD Disco is a deckchair on the titanic…

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    Mute Type17
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    Nov 12th 2021, 5:58 PM

    @Shane McGivern: That “Someone else is polluting more than we are, so there’s no need for us to do anything” argument is wearing a bit thin, don’t you think?

    2
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    Mute Gerrard
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    Nov 12th 2021, 7:39 PM

    @Type17: if Ireland went back to the Stone Age wouldn’t make a difference to the planet if India Russia China and Africa say we will burn and consume what we want

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:27 PM

    @Type17: not all. Its perfectly valid.

    1
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    Mute Anarch Eco
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    Nov 12th 2021, 10:57 AM

    Roads? Where we’re going, we wont need roads!

    57
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    Mute rolyat ecnal
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:04 AM

    @Anarch Eco: alright Marty Mcfly

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    Mute Michael Creagh
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:18 AM

    Very mature.

    38
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    Mute Martin O'Brien
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:01 AM

    Releasing rubberised air is terrible for the environment.

    37
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    Mute Timothy Culligan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:21 PM

    Defeating the purpose of what they are protesting about. Brain dead individuals

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    Mute Aurelio Na Fodhla
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:49 PM

    @Timothy Culligan: deflating the purpose…..

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    Mute Ronan Walsh
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:45 PM

    Pack of empty headed slogan chaser’s, its such a shame that it attracts such resentful and ungrateful types, such anti human, anti capitalist, anti wealth bandwagon enthusiasts.

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    Mute sean de paore
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    Nov 12th 2021, 12:36 PM

    Brainless individuals. “How to win friends and influence people “ NOT.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Nov 12th 2021, 11:12 AM

    Jheez what a ‘face-plant’ idea.

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    Mute Ned
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    Nov 12th 2021, 3:56 PM

    These climate change zealots have lost the run of themselves and also revealed the type of people they are

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    Mute Gary Mullen
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:55 PM

    @ChronicAnxiety: if you need to get your child to hospital and you call an ambulance and the ambulance says it will be 3-4 hours you put your child in the car and bring them . Not rocket science

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:35 PM

    Inflating street theatre and deflating public patience. Hot air causes global warming incidentally.

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    Mute Fakë Ăvatăř
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    Nov 12th 2021, 4:32 PM

    The amount of pearl clutching going on here because some rich people have been mildly inconvinced is a bit much.

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    Mute Leo
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    Nov 12th 2021, 1:08 PM

    Is The Army of the 12 Monkeys under investigation?

    8
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    Mute Stephen 28
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    Nov 12th 2021, 4:48 PM

    This is pure thuggary and how much extra energy is use to re inflate all these cars many hybrids as well as the inconvenience to the driver’s hope they get caught this is vandelism

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    Mute Dave Nolan
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    Nov 12th 2021, 8:50 PM

    That il learn em for buying nice things with the money they earned!

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