Irish gambling saga ‘Paddy Power’ to hit screens with star‑studded Irish cast

“Paddy Power” is set to become a feature film that charts the ascent of the Dublin‑born betting company, according to Irish production house Playhouse Studios.

The announced cast includes Brian Gleeson (known for “Under Salt Marsh,” “Logan Lucky”), Colm Meaney (“Law Abiding Citizen,” “Layer Cake”), Alex Murphy (“Saipan,” “The Young Offenders”) and Aidan Gillen (“Game of Thrones,” “Queer as Folk”).

Veteran director Matt Lipsey (“Ted Lasso,” “Inside No.9”) has been tapped to helm the project.

The screenplay will be adapted from award‑winning journalist Aaron Rogan’s book Punters: How Paddy Power Bet Billions and Changed Gambling Forever. Writing partners Dale Longmore and John Quinn (“Bump”) will team with Brian Durnin (“Spilt Milk”) to translate the book to screen.

According to the film’s synopsis, it will recount “the crazy true story of how one man bet big on brash advertising and brought online gambling — and addiction — to every corner of the globe,” describing the tale as an “inherently Irish origin story” that “claws open the lid of how a few chancers changed the world as we know it, destroying hundreds of thousands of people’s lives forever.”

Playhouse CEO Peggy Cafferty said the project “stood out immediately as a story with real scale, authentic dark humour, grit and tenacity,” adding that the adaptation captures the extraordinary rise of one company that refused to play by the rules.

Rogan expressed enthusiasm, noting that the timing is “all the more timely” given recent growth in the U.S. gambling market.

“Paddy Power” marks Playhouse Studios’ first title from its original scripted slate, following its recent financing of “Lemonade,” which premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

With a new post‑production hub in London’s Soho and an office in Belfast, Playhouse is positioning itself as an integrated production ecosystem across the U.K. and Ireland.