The Emerald Island has become one of Europe’s most pro-betting countries. thanks to the liberal and relaxed gambling attitude in the Republic of Ireland, the Irish bet on a variety of sports in vast numbers. In the following article, we are going to tell you everything that you need to know about sports betting in Ireland.
The Popularity and Legality of Sports Betting in Ireland
It is estimated that around 15% of the adult population in the Republic of Ireland place a bet on sporting events each day. The sport that they bet on the most is horseracing, with more than 70% of total sports betting wagers being placed on horseracing events. Football, as you probably guessed, is second on the list with 31%, while 23% bet on Gaelic football and 15% bet on golf. It is estimated that the Irish spend around €7 billion a year on gambling, which puts them on par with countries that have a much larger population. So, to say that the Irish like to gamble is a huge understatement – they absolutely love it.
Considering its popularity, it should really come as no great surprise to hear that betting is completely legal in Ireland, and this includes products such as poker, lotteries, bingo, and casino. To add to this, just like in the United Kingdom, any winnings that are made from gambling are not taxed. The key to making sure that you are playing at a legal bookmaker is to make sure that they have a license from a reputable gambling regulator such as the Malta Gaming Authority or the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. These are rated as two of the top gambling regulators in the world, so if you play with a sportsbook that has a license from either, you can be sure that you will be gambling in a secure and fun environment.
The Best Bookmakers for Irish Sports Betting Fans
The Irish have a plethora of bookies that they can register with, but having such a variety is something that can make it a bit difficult when it comes down to finding a sportsbook to sign up with. We all know the feeling of going into a restaurant, picking up their menu, finding more than 100 types of dishes, and then struggling to pick the dish that we want to order. This is pretty much the same thing that can happen when you have a variety of bookmakers that you can choose from, which is the reason why we thought we would give you some help by listing the best bookmakers for Irish sports bettors:
- Paddy Power
- BoyleSports
- Bet365
- Ladbrokes
- William Hill
- Coral
- BetVictor
- 888sport
- Bwin
- Unibet
- Betfred
If you want to find out all you need to know about some of these Irish sports betting sites, then follow the link that we have just provided and you will be taken to some in-depth reviews that will tell you everything you need to know about the bookmaker ranging from bonuses and promotions to the quality of the markets and odds, to the variety of banking methods, and the usefulness of the customer support team.
N.B. If you are living in the Republic of Ireland and do not have access to the Internet, for one reason or another, you can still place your bets at some of the world’s best sportsbooks. This is because there are around 250 Paddy Power land-based shops in Ireland as well as 320 BoyleSports brick-and-mortar bookmakers. You will also be able to find plenty of Coral, William Hill, and Betfred land-based shops across Ireland. So, even those who do not have Internet have a good variety to choose from too.
Choosing the Best Irish Betting Site
Since foreign bookmakers are not prohibited from offering their services to people in Ireland, Irish sports bettors, as we just showed in the section above, have a variety of quality bookies that they can select from. So, what are some main factors that you should keep in mind when you are registering with a sportsbook? This is what we are going to take a look at right now.
Security
You really should never have to worry about whether the sports betting site that you are betting with is fair, but you should always tread with some caution despite the fact that the online gambling world is always edging towards a more safe and secure place. While most online bookies you come across will be completely legit, there are some that have been created to con people out of their hard-earned money, and these are obviously ones you do not want to deposit cash with.
Therefore, as we mentioned above, you need to make sure that the bookmaker you register with is one that has been licensed by a reputable gambling regulator. Before you go ahead and sign up with a bookmaker, you should always read some reviews so that you can get a very good understanding as to what it is exactly the bookmaker can offer you. If you see plenty of negative comments in a review, we recommend that you start to look elsewhere.
Welcome Bonus
Many bookmakers that you come across now will offer potential new customers an attractive Welcome Bonus to try and entice them into opening an account. Welcome bonuses are a great way to improve your bankroll and you should pay attention to them when you are deciding on a bookmaker to register with. Please remember that there is nothing stopping you from registering with more than one bookie, so you can claim as many bonuses as you want. However, please read all the terms and conditions first before you accept a bonus of any kind.
Promotions
The bonuses that are on offer should not come to a halt when a sports bettor has opened an account with a bookmaker. Nowadays, bookies will offer their players regular promotions to keep them thoroughly satisfied. A customer that is highly satisfied is one that will be glad to stick around. The different kinds of promotions that you will come across are bet boosts, free bets, and weekly cash backs. Before you commit yourself to a bookmaker, sports betting fans should take a look at their promotions page to get a good understanding as to what type of promos they offer.
Odds
A sports betting site that has rubbish odds is one that is worthless. Yeah, it is all well and good having a great Welcome Bonus and constant promotions, but you should not let these distract you from checking out the odds that are on offer and whether they are any good or not. The odds, at the end of the day, will determine the profit size that you can make, so you must ensure that you are betting at a bookmaker that offers decent odds more often than not.
Popular Payment Options for Irish Bettors
Sports betting fans in different countries have their own preferred payment options, and Irish sports betting punter are in the enviable position of being able to choose from a wide variety of great payment options. Some of the most popular payment methods for Irish punters are VISA, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Irish sports bettors are also not subjected to any hefty conversion fees because all of the best sportsbooks will accept Euros as payment.
Advertising in Sports
Sports advertising has become very common in the country and the President of Ireland recently said that there is currently too much gambling advertising in sport. There have also been many campaigns to ban betting advertisements in sports. In light of this statement from the President and the campaigns to ban betting adverts in sport, we are going to take a look at the pros and cons of doing just that.
Pros:
Decrease gambling consumption: There are many countries out there that had introduced some restrictions when it comes down to gambling adverts. Since adverts obviously help to increase the demand and consumption of gambling, these laws will clearly have an impact on the general public. As a matter of fact, betting sponsors in sports such as rugby and football carry on increasing as this is a quick means for betting companies to reach their targeted audience. Gambling companies and football teams usually partner up and the kit that the team wears will have the name of the gambling company on it, convincing those who support the club to open an account and start gambling. By putting restrictions on gambling adverts, those in charge can decrease the issue of problem gambling.
Minors will have more protection: There have been many protests to restrict gambling adverts because parents are starting to feel that their children are being too exposed to the gambling world. Football is a sport that is watched by many kids, so if they see plenty of betting adverts, they will probably get the urge to try it out themselves. Children have a higher chance of becoming addicted to gambling than adults, and a lot of countries are seeing an increase in children with an addiction to gambling. By banning such adverts in the sporting world, the more vulnerable members of our society will be better protected.
Cons:
Teams will suffer: In sports such as football, particularly in the smaller leagues, sponsors from gambling companies are really important to the clubs as they earn plenty of money when promoting a betting company. Clubs all over the globe are suffering financially due to the current pandemic, so if sponsorship and adverts are banned, they would lose more money, While the bigger teams, such as those in the English Premier League, would be able to cope, there will be plenty of teams that could face the risk of administration if it was to be outlawed completely.
Loss of jobs: Sports betting is something that brings in plenty of money for the government and it is also something that gives jobs to thousands across the world. If such a sports betting advertising ban was to be put in place, then gambling companies will have an unsure future. However, there is something that we can be certain of, and this is that many sportsbooks will have to shut down and many people will become unemployed overnight.
So, what is our stance on all this? Well, we do understand why many want gambling companies to be prohibited from advertising at sporting events, but we also can see why some people believe that it should not be outlawed. We believe that a type of compromise should be made so that those in both camps are somewhat content.
