Betting newspaper plans Irish edition

THE Sportsman, a new daily sports newspaper hitting the streets today, is planning a dedicated Irish edition later this year.

The Sportsman will initially be printed in London, but an Irish edition will eventually be printed by The Irish News in Belfast.

The paper goes head-to-head with the Racing Post.

There has been an explosion in betting in recent years fuelled by coverage of live sport, the advent of betting exchanges and online gaming, as well as spread betting.