Ireland Online Gambling

1. Ireland Online Gambling Advice
2. Ireland Online Casino
3. Online Sports Gambling
4. Ireland Online Gambling Games

• The Best Ireland Gambling Sites in 2020 Gambling has been on a roller coaster in Ireland. Some forms of gambling have only been legal for the last 7-8 decades. As for the other forms of gambling that are still illegal, operators still find a “legal” way to offer them.
• Throughout IrishLuck.ie, we help Irish players finding the very best online casino for them. We do it through our carefully formulated and researched reviews of the top casinos found in Ireland. Along with the reviews we offer recommendations and tips on how to search for yourself.

Gambling online in Ireland To put it simply, you can bet on sports legally in Ireland. Since 2001, when the Horses and Greyhound Act of that year came into effect, sports betting has been legal in the country. The 2013 Gambling Control Bill included language that permitted online casinos in Ireland as long they acquired a licence to do so.

Gambling has been on a roller coaster in Ireland.

Some forms of gambling have only been legal for the last 7-8 decades. As for the other forms of gambling that are still illegal, operators still find a “legal” way to offer them.

Then, over the past couple of years, additional changes or laws have been introduced to accommodate the newest way to gamble – the internet.

In fact, there was talk as recently as the end of 2017 about creating some kind of gaming commission because none currently exists in Ireland. This office, if approved, would oversee things like gambling addiction, advertising, and more.

You see what we mean about a roller coaster? Gambling is all over the place.

The good news is that online gambling is alive and well for Irish players. You have lots of options for where to bet and play. We’ve assessed all those options and compiled the following list of recommended sites for Irish gamblers.

The number of online gambling options you have in Ireland means that you should not feel like you need to skimp or sacrifice gaming options or features when choosing where to play. You should have no problem finding a gambling site with everything you want.

Now, you can find this site on your own, but it can take hours due to all the due diligence you’ll need to perform beforehand. You need to make sure the site you choose is licensed, reputable, runs fair games, and more.

A much faster alternative is to piggyback off our hard work. We’ve already done the due diligence for you. This means that you can choose a gambling site from the list above and be confident that you’re going to have a good time.

These sites were chosen first and foremost because of their reputation, licensing, and fair gaming. However, we also feel they’re worth recommending because of these reasons.

• They have a diverse selection of betting and game options.
• You have several promotions to choose from, no matter what you want to gamble on.
• You can choose from several banking methods to fund your account and cash out your winnings.

You’d be hard-pressed to find gambling sites better than these.

In fact, why don’t we take a few minutes to talk in detail about how we go about choosing the best gambling sites for anyone, including those of you in Ireland? That way you can see the thought process that goes into each site we select.

Before we get into all that, here are some alternative recommendations you may want to check out. The sites listed on the following pages have been chosen based on more specific criteria than the ones above.

Choosing sites to recommend to our readers is no easy task. We can’t choose just any site. They need to meet our standards in several areas, as well as be a good fit for our readers – in this case, our readers in Ireland.

With that in mind, here are the things we look for.

One of the first things we look for is whether the site is licensed, and if so, where the license comes from.

Ireland doesn’t have their own regulatory body…yet. It sounds like they’re working on it. That said, per the Betting (Amendment) Act 2015, any company that wants to offer services to players in Ireland needs to be licensed.

Now, while any license is better than no license, there are better jurisdictions and regulatory bodies than others. Some are stricter than others are. Some give you more options for reporting or seeking recourse against rogue operators than others do.

It just depends.

The licenses we prefer to see include those from the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and the Government of Gibraltar.

Any license is better than no license, though.

The perfect scenario is finding a gambling site that offers all of the following products.

• Casino
• Poker
• Sports Betting
• Bingo

From here, we check each section to see how robust it is.

Most casinos will have a solid casino and/or sportsbook. The rest of their products will be average.

In rare cases, a casino will excel in more than one area, such as the casino and sportsbook or sportsbook and poker room. These are truly unicorns in the industry, and you should strongly consider joining them if possible.

But what makes a section “robust,” though? This is what we look for.

• A large variety of casino games to choose from. This includes video poker and slot machines, scratch tickets, and a live dealer casino.
• Lots of sports and betting markets. We prefer a sportsbook that covers all the basic sports (American football, basketball, baseball, football (soccer), hockey, etc.), as well as less-popular sports (handball, darts, etc.). Live betting and esports are both important to us nowadays, too.
• Many bingo rooms and variants. Some bingo sites make the mistake of only having 80- or 90-ball bingo. We try to find sites with bingo sections that offer 30-, 40-, and 75-ball bingo, too.

Ultimately, we just try to make sure that the sites we choose are well-rounded, as that’s likely to appeal to more people. It gives you the best chance of finding something you want to play or bet on.

Here are a couple of things that are important to us about offers.

• There are offers for every product (sports, casino, poker, bingo, etc.) on their site.
• We give more weight to game- or sport-specific offers. For example, live casino free bets, free soccer bets, free spins for slot machines, etc.
• We look for and compare welcome bonuses. You should look at both the total amount (max bonus) and the match percentage. Pro tip: players on a budget will want to look for a higher match percentage since you’ll get more bang out of every buck you deposit.
• Rollover requirements are important. How much money do you need to wager in order to cash out your winnings? The lower the amount, the better. You also need to look at things like if the bonus is cashable, how long you have to clear the bonus, and more.

Ideally, the site puts out regular offers, too, either by email, social media, or directly to you from within your player account.

One area that’s really important to use is VIP programs. The idea behind this is pretty simple – if you’re going to spend the money anyway, you might as well get something in return for it.

There are all sorts of VIP programs out there. Some have multiple levels, where you can earn perks like cash-back, bonuses, trips, higher stakes, cheaper banking, and more as you move up in levels.

Others are simpler. You’ll earn points for every dollar or ten you spend. Once you earn enough points, you can exchange them for cash-back.

Some VIP programs are separate from one product to the next. Others are combined. Ultimately, you won’t know which is best for you until you compare how hard it is to earn each perk and/or dollar in cash-back to the amount of money you have to spend to get it.

One thing is for sure, though – you should join a site with a VIP program over one that doesn’t have one, all other things being equal.

Banking is important to consider regardless of if you’re looking for a sportsbook, a bingo site, or an all-in-one gambling site.

However, we could make an argument that it’s more important for our all-in-one site readers. We’ll tell you why in a second.

Banking options will be pretty much the same no matter what you play. What we look for is a wide range of popular options that are available worldwide. For example, banking options like these.

And so on.

But we also want to find gambling sites that also accept local banking options. For example, banking options like these.

• Zimpler
• boku
• PayForIt
• Ukash

Another thing we look at – and this is arguably why banking is far more important for all-in-one sites than specialized sites – is banking limits.

For example, if you want to play bingo, you don’t need high banking limits. A $100 or $250 bankroll will take you a long way. A bingo site with deposit and withdrawal limits that are around these amounts will suffice.

But what if you like to play bingo and play slots? What if you want to play slots for high stakes – say $100, $250, or $500 per spin? Then the banking limits need to be much higher to accommodate how much money you need for a bankroll.

The best gambling sites won’t have any deposit limits. They will also either have no cash-out limits (rare) or will have limits in the upper 5-figure and possibly even 6-figure range.

Last, we look at banking fees. We look for and prefer sites that don’t charge fees on deposits. These aren’t terribly hard to find.

Finding an Irish-friendly gambling site that doesn’t charge fees on cash-outs is far rarer. So rare, in fact, that you shouldn’t waste time trying to find one that doesn’t charge fees, but one that charges low fees instead.

You can expect to find fees in the $30-$60 range for bank wires. Most other fees will be a percentage somewhere in the 3%-5% range.

Ireland Online Gambling Advice

If possible, try to find the lowest fee. This is especially important for percentage-based fees.

These are the things we feel that are most important when choosing a gambling site for players in Ireland. We recommend you use these too if you decide to try to find a site on your own.

From here, your criteria will change based on what you want to play or bet on. In other words, if you want to primarily bet sports, you’ll want to find a site that has the sports betting markets, promos, features, and more that you’re interested in.

Keep in mind, though, that the more specific you get, the harder it can be to find a site that ticks all the boxes on your must-have list.

Is Gambling in Ireland Legal?

Gambling is legal in Ireland, but it’s taken a few years (okay, decades) to get to this point. The country isn’t done yet, either, as the country is still working on implementing new laws and even their own gaming commission, the Office of Gambling Control, Ireland (OGCI).

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s go back a few decades to see how the gambling laws have changed up until now.

The first law that was passed was the Betting Act 1931. This was followed by the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956. These laws regulated all legal gaming in the country.

The only legal form of gaming, though, was sports betting and the lottery – casinos were still illegal. However, because there were/are loopholes in the law, private “members-only” clubs that offered casino games emerged. These, apparently, weren’t breaking any laws and still exist today.

Then the 1931 bill was amended in 2015 with the Betting (Amendment) Act 2015. This update focused on licensing and taxation regarding operators. This amendment allowed operators to provide online gaming and betting services so long as they have a license and renew them every two years.

Operators will have to pay €10,000 for their license. The cost to renew their license will depend on their annual turnover. However, the limits range from €10,000 to €500,000 (based on a €500,000,000 annual turnover). Remote bookmakers pay a little less – a max of €200,000.

The amendment prohibits operators from passing on these costs to their customers.

That’s gambling in Ireland in a nutshell.

While Irish gamblers don’t have all the options European or American gamblers do – legit brick-and-mortar casinos are a ways off, for example – you can still bet sports and horses, play the lottery, casino games, and whatever else you want online.

Seriously, you can join just about any online gambling site so long as they’re licensed and regulated. You know, so long as they’re following the rules.

Those are the only types of sites we recommend here. It’s for that reason that, if you’re looking for the best gambling sites for Ireland, we suggest you choose one from our list above. They’re all safe and high-quality sites that we’d play at ourselves.

FAQ for Gambling Online in Ireland

There are a few things that Irish gamblers should know about gambling online or off in Ireland. Between that and the questions we get, we figured it’d be helpful to include an FAQ section.

What you’ll find below are the commonly-asked questions we get and our answers about gambling in Ireland.

The earlier gambling laws, such as the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956, allowed people as young as 16 to participate in gaming amusement halls.

However, the standard today is that you need to be 18 years old in order to gamble online or off. Some of Ireland’s “members-only” clubs may even require you to be 21 before you can join.

Yes, so long as the operators are following the rules. They need to be licensed, renew their license every couple of years, and pay their taxes/dues.

We’re not lawyers, so it’s a good idea to do your own due diligence with someone who is.

That said, it looks like players aren’t currently taxed on their gambling winnings. The money you win from gambling isn’t considered income or capital gain, but instead the “receipt of luck.”

Yeah, casinos don’t prohibit players from Ireland from claiming their deals. Irish players will be able to claim all sorts of deals. For example:

• Welcome bonuses
• Reload bonuses
• Free bets
• Free spins
• Free bingo tickets

You’ll also be able to participate in VIP programs, if the gambling site has one. With a VIP program, you can earn additional perks, such as cash-back, bonuses, the ability to play for higher stakes, expedited cash-outs, and more.

The trick is finding the gambling site that has the best offers for the games you want to play.

Most gambling sites will let you play in several currencies. The sites in our list will let you play in euros and pounds, and often even in USD, CA, and AU.

Not usually. If you have a computer made within the last 5 or maybe 10 years, you should be okay. If the casino has a download, it’s possible they have a less intense version that will use up less of your computer’s resources – if that’s a concern.

Most casinos nowadays don’t even offer download but instead browser casinos. All you’ll need in those cases – for no-download, instant-play, or browser casinos – is a computer, web browser (Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are good options), and Adobe Flash.

Yes. Because most casinos offer instant-play casinos, most times you won’t even have to download an app. Just go to the casino of your choice from your mobile web browser, and you’ll be able to sign up, deposit, and play from your device.

The most commonly-supported devices are those that run on iOS or Android software. Blackberry and Windows-powered devices are hit or miss.

In some cases, there will be an app for you to download. Sometimes it will depend on what exactly you want to play or bet on. In other words, there might be an app for the poker room or sportsbook, but not the casino.

Our gambling site reviews will tell you what your (best) options are.

There’s pretty much no limits to what you can play, so long as you can find a casino that offers it. For example, you can expect to find the following games online:

Slots

Choose from a variety of 3, 5, 6, and 9-reel machines. You can play classic and video slot machines, as well as slots with progressive jackpots, bonus rounds, free spins, wilds, and more.

Table Games

Play games like blackjack, roulette, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, craps, Casino Hold’em, and more. Many casinos offer lots of game variants, too.

Video Poker

Choose from games like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, 10s or Better, Loose Deuces, and more.

Live Dealer

Play live casino games such as blackjack, roulette, Casino Hold’em, and more.

It shouldn’t be terribly difficult to find a casino that offers all of the games mentioned above and then some. Many casinos available to players in Ireland will have hundreds or even more than a thousand games.

Yes. This might sound like hyperbole, but you could say that it’s just as safe to gamble online as it is to bank or shop online. Online gambling sites use similar encryption technology to keep your private information private.

Combine that with the fact that operators need to follow laws and be licensed in order to offer games to Irish players, and you have an excellent recipe for a safe gambling experience.

The Republic of Ireland is a country which has an illustrious history with gambling, particularly when it comes to horse racing. However, it is also a country which has a firmly established, legalised online gambling industry, and isn’t too restrictive when it comes to what its residents and citizens bet on. The small island nation’s population can seemingly gamble on anything and everything they wish, within reason. To explain that further, we need to dive into the legality of betting and gambling in the Emerald Isle. With that in mind, let’s begin…

An Overview of Gambling in Ireland

Gambling

Ireland has long been known for being home to a large gambling population. The Irish gambling laws have undergone several changes over the years as the country tried to regulate the market, and ensure that most forms of gambling were as open as they always have been. This might seem like an enormous task, but the Republic of Ireland appears to have managed it with ease.

The most recent gambling laws in Ireland stem back to 2013 when the Gambling Control Bill was introduced. This effectively formed a licensing authority which oversees both the land-based betting world and the digital one. Older gambling bills such as the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956 are still in effect to some degree but should be overhauled and updated with a new gambling act which is set to be unveiled in 2020.

In 2019, that act was amended to include lottery regulations. These – alongside the National Lottery Act of 2013 – aim to ensure that lottery betting is kept separate from other forms of gambling laws.

Operators who wish to run gambling operations in Ireland are required to obtain a license from the Revenue Commissioners and the Regulator of the National Lottery. Before this, the country deemed Gibraltar, Malta and UK-issued gambling licenses to be the norm.

A Note on Ireland’s Gambling Games

Oddly enough, while sports betting and lottery games have long been legal and accepted in Ireland, it is only recently that casino games are starting to be tolerated. For many years, Irish punters frequented offshore casinos to play casino games, as they were not strictly allowed under Irish gambling laws. As mentioned, the recent amendments and new legislation which has passed will allow the Republic of Ireland to legalise those games, albeit under certain conditions, such as having an Irish issued gambling license.

The lack of legality concerning casino games has never really troubled players in the past. In fact, Ireland’s casino players have had a more than enough way of dealing with this issue. Like most players across the world who haven’t been able to play specific gambling games legally, Irish players visited offshore casinos.

Offshore casinos are foreign internet betting sites which are licensed and based outside of Ireland. For instance, many of these domains are licensed in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Malta, as mentioned earlier. These domains do carry a wealth of online casino games and have been ideal for Irish players to sign up to.

To date, the Irish Government has not issued a blacklist of authorised ISPs (internet service providers) to ban access to foreign casinos. Nor are Irish players punished for visiting these foreign casinos. While many casino players in Ireland currently continue to play casino games at these remote casino domains, it is thought that the new gambling laws which are set to come in this year will put a stop to large parts of that. After all, casino games will theoretically be legal at any casino which has obtained an Irish gambling license.

Ireland’s Most Played Casino Games

Casino games

The Irish aren’t too fussy about what they play. They have a love of many different types of gambling games. With that in mind, it is worth exploring some of these options in closer detail. Any site proclaiming itself as one of the best casinos for players in Ireland will need to carry the following games:

Ireland Online Casino

Slots:Slots are one of the few games which until very recently, weren’t really permitted in Ireland. That only made them even more in demand amongst the gambling population. Some of the most notable Irish casino domains (many of which were based offshore) came packing hundreds of slot games for Irish players to enjoy. These include progressive jackpot slots, 3D slots, mobile slots and non-progressive video slots. Fruit machines have always been popular in Ireland, too, whether found in pubs, arcades, high-street bookies or online.

Table Games: The Irish do not have such a big love affair with table games, at least not in comparison to players in other European countries. Nonetheless, this hasn’t stopped some Irish players wanting to try their hand at them. We’d hesitate to call them popular, but frequently played table games at Irish-friendly online casinos will typically include blackjack and roulette. Craps also tends to do rather well. There isn’t much of an audience for baccarat in the Republic of Ireland, although, this doesn’t mean that you can’t play the game at Irish casino sites.

Poker Games: Poker games are one of the few traditional casino classics which does have a large following. It is not uncommon for many of Ireland’s most reputable and popular gambling sites to offer not just poker games, but also a wealth of poker tournaments. There are no specific laws in Ireland which relate to poker gaming, so in the past, it wasn’t widely available at local casinos. However, offshore poker rooms have regularly been available for Irish poker fans who wish to take their gameplay to the next level.

Online Sports Gambling

Live Dealer Casino Games: As most casino games weren’t really available in Ireland for long periods, many Irish players had to visit offshore casinos if they wish to get to grips with the latest craze in casino gaming – live dealer casino games. Most of these games are streamed from exotic places, and gameplay can often be found using the euro currency. A variety of gambling games with different table limits can be played at Irish betting sites, although, again, some table games have proven more popular with Irish players than others.

Bingo Games: Bingo is very popular in Ireland, just as it is in the neighbouring United Kingdom. Oddly enough, there are no specific laws relating to bingo in Ireland, as bingo is considered a lottery. Instead, bingo games are governed by the Gaming and Lotteries Act. Because bingo games have been legal for a very long time, bingo halls regularly offer these games in the country. Moreover, online bingo sites are open to catering to players in the country.

Scratch Cards: Scratch cards can be played as a land-based game or online. There isn’t much demand for the digital version of these games in Ireland, but the same could be said of any country, really.

Lottery, Games: Lottery games are legal in Ireland and fall under the same laws as bingo games, as mentioned. The Irish National Lottery is the state-sponsored game of choice for many, although Ireland does compete in major pan-European lotteries, too. Irish players also have access to international lottery betting sites and can acquire tickets to worldwide lottery via ticket agents, as is becoming increasingly more popular these days.

Sports Betting: The Irish are world-renowned for loving a punt on sports. Horse racing is a national pastime in the Republic of Ireland, and many races take place each day. This naturally means that many millions of euros change hands each year betting on these races. Any of the best online betting sites open for Irish players will also readily serve up sports betting options to their players.

Taxes on Big Wins at Irish Casinos

Ireland does have gambling taxes in place. However, these gambling taxes are not typically placed on players. Instead, the burden is on the online casinos and sportsbooks to cough up the case. In late 2018, the Irish Government announced that the traditional 1% duty paid by sportsbooks (well, any license gambling domains, really) would be doubled to a 2% levy. This was done to try and secure €50m in revenue, to be split between public spending and problem gambling treatment.

The decision did not sit well with bookies, who claimed that a large number of betting shops would be forced to sack staff or close down. Nonetheless, the move was implemented. What does this mean for Irish players, though?

Irish players are not subject to gambling taxes on their winnings. However, it should be noted that if they win a substantial amount, and that generates sizable revenue via interest, they would be required to pay income tax on those figures. The situation is a lot less clear when it comes to professional gamblers.

The Best Irish Online Casinos to Join Today

Websites to join

If you are based in Ireland, you will have a myriad of online casinos and betting sites to choose from. As of 2020, you will be able to play at Irish licensed online casinos and sportsbooks. However, Ireland is not going to completely close the door to offshore and foreign betting sites, either. This gives you two very different ways to play.

As we don’t rightly know precisely what services Irish licensed casinos will offer, it is understandable that some players will want to play abroad. Wherever you decide to spend your euros on gambling games, the best Irish online casinos will all have similar features. We deem these features to include:

Irish-Friendly Bonuses: Not all casino bonuses and promotions at offshore casinos are available to players living in Ireland. The best ones will be. While you are checking out the terms and conditions for these bonuses, it is worth ensuring that any bonuses you do claim are fair, and have reasonable conditions such as wagering requirements and playthrough rates.

English Language Gaming: It is exceptionally rare to find an online casino offering gameplay in Gaelic. With that in mind, your chosen casino needs to offer services in English. Fortunately, most online casinos do, so this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for you to find.
The Euro Currency: Converting currencies can sometimes lead to added fees. You want to avoid that. The best casinos for Irish players will automatically serve up the euro currency, and you should be able to deposit, wager and withdraw using this option.

Irish Payment Methods: Irish payment methods are predominantly the same as those found in UK online casinos. Both Neteller and Paysafecard are popular in the country, but so are VISA, MasterCard, Laser, WebMoney and EcoPayz. Ireland is one of the few notable countries in the world (alongside the UK) which also sees PayPal accepted at online casino sites.

Ireland Online Gambling Games

Your Favourite Games: As we’ve said above, Irish players love to have a punt on many different types of games. This has to be taken into consideration when you decide to bet at online casinos. The best Irish online casinos will carry not just slots and table games, but also instant win titles, bingo games and naturally, many will offer sports betting options, too.

Reliable Support Options: Most of the best Irish online casinos excel at offering customer support. These services should be available in English, and if telephone support is provided, it should be toll-free via an Irish phone number. While an FAQ (frequently asked questions) guide and e-mail support are handy, having live chat available on a 24/7 basis is all you really need.

Mobile Gameplay: Irish players should have access to mobile casino gameplay. Long gone are the days when slot players would download casino software to their PC. The best Irish casinos will not only provide mobile gameplay via an instant play site; they may also offer betting opportunities via dedicated iOS (Apple) and Android apps.

As mentioned, things are changing in the Irish online gambling scene in 2020, but what we’ve covered so far is correct at the time of writing. Ireland’s gaming industry is set to go through a remarkable transformation over the next twelve months, so it should be an exciting time for players to play their favourite games.