ACCOUNTS JUST filed for Gibraltar-based bookmaker Victor Chandler show the company is finding the Irish market heavy going.

Victor Chandler Ireland Ltd, which operates two betting shops in Dublin, made a loss in the year to the end of July 2008 of €347,714 to leave the company €993,917 in the red.

Its on-course betting arm fared little better. Victor Chandler On Course Ireland Ltd made a loss of €61,662 in the same reporting period. That left the on-course operation with accumulated losses of €448,765.

Not that Victor Chandler is alone in experiencing a bumpy ride in the Irish betting market at the moment, given the impact of the recession on consumer spending.

Given its modest retail presence here, how long can it be before the company’s owners hold a stewards’ inquiry?