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Sports betting opportunities are vast in Ireland, with more than a hundred online bookmakers and sports betting sites offering at least 20 sports betting markets, great promotions, and safe payment methods. We’ve done some extensive digging to find you the best Irish online casinos available today, all of which we’ll discuss in this online betting guide.
If you’re wondering, ‘where to bet in Ireland?’, this guide will give you all the information you need to find the best betting sites and learn more about what kind they have to offer. We’ll also review a few new betting sites for punters who might be interested in trying out a new betting website but want a reliable review first.
Top Betting Sites Ireland 2024
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Best Betting Sites Ireland 2024
The list of online bookmakers Ireland has to offer is extensive, but at Irish Online Casino, we have a rigorous set of criteria which we use to find the highest quality bookies from all the options available. Below, we’ll go over our top five picks for the best five online sports betting sites.
Legend Play Casino
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Legend Play is one of the top new Irish betting sites that was launched in 2022, offering a safe betting platform for all types of sports that Irish punters can place their bets on.
- 24/7 Live betting - Legend Play offers 24/7 betting on live sports like football, basketball, tennis, baseball, and horse racing among others, but the best part is that live streaming is available for all live events you can bet on.
- Over 35 sports categories - Currently, there are 37 different sports you can bet on, including curling, snooker, Gaelic football, cycling, darts, volleyball, and badminton, just to mention a few.
- eSports betting - ESports betting is becoming increasingly popular in Ireland and Legend play gives you the chance to bet on markets like CS:GO, Valorant, and Kings of Glory. You can also bet on virtual sports like virtual football here.
- Welcome Bonus - As a way of welcoming you to the Legend Play sportsbook, your first deposit will be rewarded with a 100% Welcome Bonus of up to €250 when you sign up for an account. (T&Cs apply)
Mr Mega Casino
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Mr Mega Casino is a modern online casino and Ireland betting site offering a great Welcome Offer to get you started and an extensive range of sports betting markets too.
- Live Betting - The Mr Mega Sportsbook offers live betting markets on different sports, including football, tennis, basketball, and football VR. Live streaming is also available for most live events and can be viewed differently on the site.
- eSports– Betting on all major eSports events, tournaments, and leagues is possible at Mr Mega with more than 270 eSports events that you can currently bet on. These include DOTA 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, Valorant, and Call of Duty.
- Pre-match betting - There are nearly 40 sports betting markets to choose from in total, including football, tennis, table tennis, horse racing, greyhounds, boxing, ice hockey, padel, and many more.
- Welcome Offer - New punters can start their sports betting journey with a 100% first deposit bonus of up to €200 + 100 Spins. (T&Cs apply)
Royalistplay Casino
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Royalistplay is one of the best new Irish betting sites and one of the best choices for sports betting in Ireland.
- Esports betting - eSports betting can be found in a separate category at Royalistplay and there are more than 350 eSports events to bet on, including markets like DOTA 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, and basketball eSports among others. Virtual sports betting is also available with games like virtual derby, virtual car racing, and virtual hockey too.
- Over 25 sports categories - Bet on a wide variety of different sports like football, horse racing, cricket, Formula 1, motorsports, winter sports, kabaddi, and much more.
- Live sports betting - Live betting is also possible at Royalistplay, with several live sports events like football, tennis, basketball, and much many more events to choose from. It doesn’t look like live streaming is available here.
- Welcome Offer - Royalistplay will give you a royal welcome with a 100% Welcome Bonus of up to €1000 spread out between 4 deposits. (T&Cs apply)
- Regular sports bonuses - Other sports bonuses are available at Royalistplay, including a Reload Bonus consisting of 50% up to €50. There’s also the opportunity to get up to €50 in Free Bet tokens every month.
Kwiff Casino
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Kwiff Casino is one of the new bookmakers Ireland site that’s ideal for new punters to get started thanks to the highly user-friendly approach to sports betting.
- Over 15 sports betting markets - There are currently 18 sports categories to bet on, including football, snooker, horse racing, volleyball, cricket, darts, and rugby betting among others. The number of sports markets available here is still somewhat limited, but all the most popular options are available.
- Welcome Bonus - You can get 40 spins on the game 'Book of Dead' when you wager €20 or more on slot games, for 5 days in a row. (T&Cs apply)
- In-Play betting - Live betting is also available here, although it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to live stream sports events.
Luckster Casino
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Last but not least is one of the most popular bet Ireland sites sites that many punters might already be familiar with, called Luckster Casino. Established in 2022, Luckster is a very Irish-themed casino with one of the biggest sportsbooks in Ireland.
- Over 40 sports categories - There are currently 43 sports and sports betting markets to place your bets on here, including football, tennis, horse racing, American football, boxing, ice hockey, floorball, and much more.
- eSports betting - Plenty of options for eSports fans are available here too, including betting on League of Legends, Call of Duty, DOTA 2, and Counter Strike.
- Welcome Bonus - Luckster is offering newly registered sports punters a 100% bonus on their first deposit, up to €200 + 100 Spins. (T&Cs apply)
- Other sports bonuses - Regular members can enjoy other casino bonuses at Luckster, including up to 77% extra winnings on Combo Bet wins with at least four folds.
How Do We Rate the Best Irish Bookmakers
Several factors must be taken into consideration when looking for the best sports betting sites Ireland has to offer. One of the most common mistakes that rookie punters often make is to sign up at any Ireland betting sites without doing a little bit of research first.
At Irish Online Casino, we’ve come up with a rigorous review process that looks at different features and aspects of an online bookie and personally test the platform ourselves to find out if it meets our expectations. In the following sections, we’ll walk you through each aspect and criteria that we analyse o help you understand how we rate the best betting sites Ireland has available.
Sports Selection
If you’re considering opening an account with a particular online bookie, you’ll want to take a look at the selection of sports categories available. There should be a good variety of different sports to bet on, not only the most popular options like football and cricket, and there should also be different markets to keep your betting experience varied and interesting.
Licencing
Every online bookmaker and casino recommended on this site has been checked to make sure they’re properly licenced and regulated. Most of the sites listed here are licenced by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). When checking the licence information, you should be able to find the licence number and other legal information easily on the website.
Competitive Odds
Besides looking at the variety of sports categories and markets available, we also consider the quality of the odds offered on these sports. Not every Ireland betting site will offer the best odds for you, so it’s important to compare odds and find the best ones to get the most for your money.
Welcome Offers and Promotions
One of the easiest ways for an online sportsbook to stand out in the competitive online betting world is by offering the best Welcome Offer and other exciting offers for regular players too. When comparing promotions and bonuses, we don’t just look at the size of the Free Bets offered, for example, but also at the terms and conditions. If these aren’t favourable to the player, we don’t recommend them.
Payments
The type of payment options supported on a betting platform will tell you a lot about how legitimate and trustworthy it is. We always look out for highly secure banking options like Visa/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal among others.
Secure websites
Security is a key priority when rating an online sports betting site in Ireland because one of the riskiest things you can do is to sign up with a bookmaker that doesn’t take security seriously. Doing so means you’ll be risking losing funds or being the victim of fraud, so to ensure a site is safe, we always check for the little padlock symbol on the search bar and that the site uses SSL data encryption.
Attractive Features
With hundreds, if not thousands of betting sites available in Ireland, bookmakers strive to offer something unique that will help them keep up with the competition. Offering good odds and bonuses isn’t enough; bookies must also have attractive features like live betting, live streaming, eSports, and virtual sports betting to offer an exciting and varied betting experience.
Best Irish Bookies by Category
| 💯Best Sports Bonuses: | Royalistplay |
| 📡Live Multi View Feature: | 21LuckyBet |
| 🏇Best Horse Racing Betting Site | Mr Mega |
| ⚽Best Football Betting Site | LegendPlay |
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Ireland?
Wherever you are in the world, you always need to be aware of the gambling laws and regulations in your country before you start gambling. If you’re wondering, ‘can sports bet in Ireland?’, then the short answer is yes, sports betting is legal in Ireland.
Online gambling is allowed so long as the betting platform is properly licenced and regulated by a respectable gambling body. The licence that the casino or sports betting site has should be the proper one that allows them to operate within Ireland, with the most common ones being the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission.
Several online bookies and betting sites are also licenced by the government of Curacao, which is another reputable licence that you can look out for when looking at Ireland betting sites. As you’ve probably noticed, none of these licences is from an Irish gambling body, and the reason is simply that there isn’t really an official gambling body in Ireland.
The official Irish government agency that can award a licence for Irish-based betting sites is the Ireland Revenue Commissioners. This is the agency that works to regulate online casinos and the gambling sector in Ireland, but since many betting sites Ireland has available are offshore sites, you might not come across this name so often.
Despite being an extremely popular activity that thousands of people engage in in Ireland, online gambling has been legal in the country for less than 10 years! The country officially legalised online gambling in 2015, when the Irish government began to realise that due to its popularity, online gambling could be a highly lucrative market.
Nowadays, online gambling is a massive source of revenue within the country and we’re also seeing an influx of new betting sites Ireland operators obtaining the necessary licence to operate in Ireland. For punters, this means an ever-growing choice of licenced, regulated, and safe betting sites to choose from.
Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Ireland
There are several sports that you’ll regularly find at any Irish sports betting sites, and a few other sports that might be more niche categories that will be found at bigger sportsbooks with a large number of categories.
When looking for a suitable online bookmaker to sign up with, one of the first things you’ll want to make sure of is that your preferred sports betting categories and markets are available here. For example, if you want to start betting on rugby but the bookmaker, you’re visiting has no rugby betting options, this obviously wouldn’t be a suitable site for you.
Even if you already have a selection of favourite sports that you want to bet on, it’s important to choose a sportsbook that offers other sports too because you might want to bet on other types of sports in the future.
Below are some of the most popular sports categories that you’ll be able to find at any top betting site Ireland has to offer.
Football
Starting with the most popular sport to bet on in the world, football betting is a standard sport that any bookie offers. There aren’t many other sports with such a wide fanbase and following than football, so you can expect to find a vast range of betting markets for this sport, such as Match Winner, Outright Betting, Correct Score betting, Over/Under betting, Handicap Betting, and Top Goal Scorer.
The betting options in this market are particularly varied and if you’re a beginner, you can always start out with straightforward, simpler bets and then experiment with more complex bets for a chance to get bigger returns for your stake.
The more popular football betting tournaments and competitions that Irish punters can bet on include the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup, the English Premier League, and the Irish FAI Cup.
Gaelic Football
Football betting might be the most popular worldwide but throughout the Emerald Isle, Gaelic Football definitely enjoys the most popularity because it’s the country’s national sport. This sport is one of the four sports that are governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and it can be traced back all the way back to the 19th century, although there are even references to this sport that date back as far as the 14th century!
As any Irish sports fan will know, Gaelic football is a sport that combines elements from both football and rugby with several championships played throughout the year. Unlike football, Gaelic football has a unique format that doesn’t offer as many betting markets and options, but there are still a few options you can explore. These include the Draw No Bet market, the Winning Margin bet, Accumulator betting, and the First Score bet.
There are multiple tournaments taking place throughout the year, but the most well-known one is definitely the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, while others include the National Football League, The O’Byrne Cup, and the Munster Championships.
Golf
Golf is another betting market that punters all over the world enjoy betting on and Ireland is no exception. There are several golf tournaments taking place around the world nearly every week, which means that punters who enjoy betting on golf always have something to place their bets on. Golf is a betting market that you’ll find at any betting online Ireland site, and if you’re familiar with the format of the sport, you’ll find it very easy to bet on this sport.
Golf offers a lot more betting options than the average sport, which means that you’re unlikely to get bored when betting on this sport. The nature of the sport makes it possible to bet on the Tournament Winner, betting on whether a player will make the cut or not (Betting on the Cut), Hole-in-One betting, and of course, plenty of live betting opportunities too.
As mentioned, golf is a sport that’s played all year round, but there are many tournaments and championships that enjoy much wider spectatorship and a high volume of bettors too. Some of the most well-known golf tournaments include the Irish Open, the Barton Shield, the Irish PGA, and the Solheim Cup.
Horse Racing
Horse racing is a sport that’s practically synonymous with Irish sports betting because Irish punters are particularly passionate about horse racing. First of all, the country itself is a horse racing haven due to its ideal climate and landscape. Ireland is also home to some of the world’s best racing horses and horse racing is a tradition that’s integral to the country’s history and culture.
Steeplechasing originated in Ireland and some of the world’s most successful horses have been bred here for centuries. All the biggest horse racing events and tournaments take place around Ireland and the UK, including the Cheltenham Festival, the Royal Ascot, the Irish Derby, the Grand National, and the Irish Grand National.
In terms of betting markets and bet types, there aren’t too many different ones to choose from due to the nature of the sport. The most common type of bet is, of course, to bet on the winning horse, but there’s also Each-Way betting which is a two-way bet where you place half of your stake on the horse you think will win and the other half on a horse that you think will finish in the second or third place. Accumulator betting is also possible for horse racing and it’s one of the best ways to get a big return on your stake if done right. The risks are naturally higher because you’re betting on at least four selections, but the potential rewards will be much higher.
Rugby
Rugby betting is also very big in Ireland, particularly Rugby Union Betting and betting on The Six Nations. Rugby is the third most popular sport in Ireland, so you can count on this betting category to be available at any betting website you visit in Ireland.
The Six Nations is the biggest rugby event in the world, played between the six nations which are England, France, Italy, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Ireland won the Six Nations a total of four times so far, in 2009, 2014, 2015, and most recently in 2018. The Rugby Championship is another prestigious rugby championship you can bet on, with several betting markets to choose from, including Match Odds, Double Chance betting, Double Result betting, and Odd or Even Total Points betting.
Darts
From a casual pub game to a competitive sport, darts has become a very popular sport that’s watched by millions all over the world. In Ireland, darts betting is quite popular, especially when there are major tournaments like the PDC Premier League Darts, the World Cup of Darts, and the Champions League of Darts. With big prizes up for grabs, these are some of the biggest darts events in the world that millions of people tune in to watch and many place their bets on too.
In terms of betting types, darts is an interesting sports market that allows you to bet on markets other than the tournament winner. Some of the best darts betting markets include Match Odds, Highest Checkout Score, Total 190s, 9-Dart Finish, and the Most 180s.
Greyhounds
Greyhound racing is a sport that’s been around since 1919, also referred to as dog racing or greyhound track racing sometimes. In Ireland, the greyhound racing industry is regulated and controlled by the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) and while it may not be as popular as Gaelic football or rugby, it’s still quite popular.
It’s also a betting option that can be found at almost any Irish betting site nowadays, with thousands of punters placing their money on who they think will be the winning dog. Similar to horse racing betting, there aren’t too many betting markets to choose from here. Live betting is particularly popular for greyhound racing, and you can also try out Accumulator betting.
Some of the most prestigious greyhound races that take place throughout the year include the English Oaks, the Scottish Derby, the Steel City Cup, and the Irish Greyhound Derby.
Best Sports Betting Sites Welcome Offers
| Betting Site | Welcome Offer |
|---|---|
| Ladbrokes | €20 in Free Bets after a €5 stake |
| Boyle Sports | €30 Sportsbook Bet after at €10 stake + €10 Casino Bonus |
| 21LuckyBet | 100% match bonus up to €200 + 50 Spins |
| 888 Casino | 100% match bonus up to €140 on first deposit |
| Mr Mega | 100% match bonus up to €200 + 100 Spins on first deposit |
Most Popular Payment Methods
To bet on any sport at any of the betting sites Ireland has to offer, you’ll first need to find a secure way to transfer funds into your sportsbook account which you’ll then use to place your bets. Nowadays, the choice of reliable payment methods that you can use for online sports betting is ample, so we’ll walk you through the most popular ones available in Ireland. You should be able to find most – if not all – of these banking methods available at any Irish online bookie.
- Visa/Mastercard - Card payments are a standard payment option at all online casinos and betting sites. Practically everyone has a debit card nowadays, so it’s a convenient option to use to make deposits and withdrawals at a betting website. Visa and Mastercard are the most frequently used cards to make online payments, but keep in mind that you can only use a debit card since credit cards have been banned from use at online casinos or online sportsbooks in Ireland.
- PayPal - PayPal has been a trusted payment option for practically any type of online purchase for many years now, but it’s also become a common option to use for online casino transactions. It can easily be used by linking your bank card with your PayPal account to avoid using your card number when making a deposit. It’s also a quicker way to retrieve winnings from your casino account back into your PayPal account.
- Skrill - Skrill is a well-known e-wallet payment option that the majority of punters tend to go for because it’s easy to use, safe, and offers the quickest payout timeframes. Deposits are instant while withdrawals are usually processed within a few hours, depending on the casino’s withdrawal policy as well.
- Neteller - Neteller forms a part of PaySafe Group, which is the same company that Skrill belongs to. It works just like Skrill and can be used to transfer funds to and from your casino account efficiently and very quickly too. Both Neteller and Skrill have become standard payment options in the gambling world and any of the best online betting sites in Ireland offer these two e-wallets.
- EcoPayz - EcoPayz is an online payment option that allows you to manage your transactions through your ecoAccount. This payment option has been available since 2000 and it’s a prepaid payment method which means you can make instant payments at a casino from your prepaid account. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, ecoPayz is a very reliable and trustworthy payment option and can typically be used for both types of casino transactions.
- Paysafecard - If you’re looking for a secure payment method that’s a lot like paying in cash, Paysafecard might be a good payment option to consider because it works differently than the other payment methods described so far. This is one of the most secure payment methods because you can purchase a voucher from a variety of retailers and then use the 16-digit code on that voucher to transfer funds into your casino account.
Betting Sites Ireland Frequently Asked Questions
Can sports bet in Ireland?
Yes, you can legally sports bet in Ireland. According to the latest gambling laws and regulations in Ireland, online casino and sports betting are both legal as long as the betting operator has obtained the correct licence to offer these services to Irish punters. It’s legal to bet on sports like football, horse racing, rugby, golf, cricket, Gaelic football, and many other sports in Ireland. Remember to look out for trustworthy gambling licences like the MGA, UKGC, or Curacao licence before signing up at any online sports betting site in Ireland.
What bookies are in Ireland?
Wondering what bookies are in Ireland? Well, a few well-known bookies that are available in Ireland include Paddy Power, Coral Sports, Bet365, Ladbrokes, Betway, and Betfair. Many of these are award-winning sportsbooks that are available nearly worldwide, wherever sports betting is legal and can be found in Ireland too.
Where to bet in Ireland?
There are literally hundreds of betting sites Ireland players can choose from, but of course, this doesn’t mean that all of these are good options that you can go ahead and sign up with. To find the best place to bet in Ireland, it’s important to do a little bit of research and stick with recommended operators that are licenced, offer secure banking options for your deposits and withdrawals, competitive odds and a variety of different sports to bet on. You can find all our top recommendations for the best places to bet on sports in Ireland on this page.
What are the top online betting sites in Ireland?
Some of the best online betting sites in Ireland include Kwiff, Luckster, Legend Play, Mr Mega, Royalistplay, Palm Slots Sports, TonyBet, Betway, Betinia, and Sportaza, all of which are considered among the top 10 betting sites in Ireland.
What is the number 1 sport in Ireland?
Gaelic football is definitely considered the number one sport in Ireland and the main sport in the country. Often described as a sport that’s a cross between rugby and football, Gaelic football is one of the most watched sports in Ireland and a very popular betting market as well. Gaelic football has been voted the number one sport in the country for years in a row, but there are other popular sports in Ireland like soccer, rugby, and tennis.
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