Gambling company Paddy Power has increased its presence in Ireland after acquiring nine Hacketts bookies. The deal expands Paddy Power's number of betting shops in the Republic of Ireland to 232, according to Irish Independent.

The bookies that Paddy Power bought are located in Dublin, Limerick, Templemore, Tullamore, and Clonmel. Under the terms of the said deal, all the acquired shops will be rebranded under the name Paddy Power. The transaction is expected to close in early 2014, the report detailed.

Hacketts prides itself as the largest independent bookmaker in Ireland. Before the sale of its nine stores, the company had more than 50 outlets across the country. Davisdorf, the company behind Hacketts, is unlimited thus the firm does not have to file its publicly available accounts with the Companies Office, the report explained.

Davisdorf is directed by Cyril Hackett and his wife Monica. Hackett established the betting chain in 1965, Irish Independent reported.