Graduates get stake in Paddy Power - graduate jobs

Graduates with Masters and PhD qualifications will benefit from a decision by bookmaker Paddy Power to create 250 jobs as it expands further into the international betting market.

Fifty of the new high-end positions will be at its Tallaght centre after securing a five-year deal with the French state-controlled horseracing betting system PMU.

The remaining 200 will be filled at the company's south Dublin headquarters as expansion continues into 2013.

The company already employs 640 staff at Tallaght, where it will manage risk and pricing for PMU's new online business. PMU is the largest betting organisation in Europe, turning over 9.3 billion euros (£8.3 million) last year.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the deal underscores the Irish bookmaker's expertise. He said: "Paddy Power is a prime example of a company with a talent for innovation that keeps on searching for new opportunities.

"The decision of a world-class organisation like PMU to team up with Paddy Power is testament to Paddy Power's own world-class expertise in e-commerce, product development and risk management."