Betting Sites Ireland

Irish Betting Sites

On this page, we’ll be exploring just about every aspect of Irish betting sites. We’ll discuss the range of betting markets available to customers, the types of bonuses you can uncover, which payment methods are available to use, and much more. 

We’ll also discuss all the factors that our team considers when reviewing different sites, so you’ll have a better idea of how we decide on our recommendations. As well as providing an overview of online sports betting, this page also provides readers with a bookies comparison tool, allowing you to compare different sites and find the right one for you.

Get started by browsing our list of the best betting sites, compare what’s on offer, select your choice by clicking the ‘claim bonus’ button, and sign up to get started.

How We Review Irish Betting Sites

Our expert team here at TopRatedCasinos.ie is responsible for reviewing a broad range of Irish betting sites and bringing our readers the very best of the bunch. There are a range of factors we consider when conducting these reviews, to ensure every aspect of the site is covered.

• Licensing – We only recommend sites that are licensed by reputable regulators such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Unlicensed sites aren’t held to any of the same standards regarding customer safety, so if we come across one, our review stops there.
• Betting Markets – In a competitive market, it’s important that Irish betting sites offer a real breadth of betting options for their customers. This means we’ll not only be looking out for a wide range of sports, but also plenty of different markets within each match. Soccer fans, for example, can bet on anything from the number of goal kicks in a ten-minute period to whether or not there’ll be a penalty during the game.
• Competitive Odds – It’s no good offering a great range of markets if the potential payouts are far below other sites. We analyse a variety of bookies’ odds to see if you’ll be getting a good deal. Bonuses such as odds boosts come into this as well.
• Special Features – The best betting sites continue to develop new features to improve the overall experience. These include the ability to request bets through the site or social media, edit bets after you’ve placed them, and live stream games directly from the betting page.
• Betting Options – Live streaming goes hand-in-hand with live betting, which’ll be just one of many betting options available. We’ll be looking out for how many in-play betting markets are available on a particular site, as well as how easy it is to create an accumulator bet.
• Bonuses – New customers are always able to pick up a welcome bonus when they join a new site, which can include a range of deals such as free bets and matched deposits. However, there are also plenty of bonus offers for existing customers — the best sites will offer a mixture of recurring deals and ones for specific matches.
• Payment Options – While many punters will make their first deposit with their debit card and stick with it, others may enjoy the benefits of alternatives such as e-wallets or pay by mobile. Some payment methods offer faster withdrawals than others, while others, like Trustly, don’t require any additional accounts. Having plenty of options is important as customers have different preferences.
• Site Design – With thousands of markets listed on sports betting sites at any one time, it’s paramount that the site is well organised and easy to navigate. From the search bar to the different headings and categories, each element of the site design is important for the betting experience. An attractive and original aesthetic won’t go amiss, either.
• Customer Support – From time to time, you may have queries about the terms and conditions of an offer, or how long your withdrawal will take. It’s important that you’re able to get quick answers from a friendly customer support team, either through live chat, email, web form, or phone. We’ll also review a site’s FAQs page, as this’ll be useful for more general queries.

Popular Sports Betting Options

As we’ve mentioned, the best betting sites offer a wide range of sports and betting markets to cover all tastes and interests. Here are some of the most popular to give you a flavour of what’s available.

Soccer Betting

Soccer betting is often what draws punters to sign up to a site, thanks to the popularity of the sport in Ireland. Whether you’re keen to bet on the Premier League or something closer to home in the League of Ireland, virtually every match will be available.

You’ll notice increasing numbers of bonus offers available for big events such as the Champions League and World Cup finals, and these games will also have the most markets available. Bettors can predict just about anything, from the number of yellow cards in a game to which team will have the most offsides. If you prefer to look further into the future, you can also predict whether Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, or any other team will claim this season’s FA Cup.

Betting sites Ireland-wide take bets on these popular soccer tournaments:

• The Irish Cup
• FIFA World Cup
• UEFA European Championship (The Euros)
• UEFA Champions League
• Copa América 

Horse Racing Betting

Another hugely popular sport in Ireland, horse racing betting is a staple feature of any online sportsbook. It’s available all year round, but there’s naturally a lot of interest in the big events, such as the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National, and the Punchestown Gold Cup. Horse racing is known for the multitude of different bets you can make, including each way, forecast, tricast, trixie, patent, yankee, and more.

Horse racing is also one of the best sports for picking up bonus offers — you can often get your money back as a free bet if your horse finishes second, while the best odds guaranteed promotion ensures you’ll always get the best price regardless of when you place your bet.

You’ll want to pop these top Irish horse racing events in your diary:

• Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival
• Fairyhouse Easter Festival
• Galway Summer Festival
• The Listowel Harvest Festival
• The Irish Derby Festival

Cricket Betting

Cricket is broadly split into three categories: test cricket, one day international cricket, and Twenty20 international cricket. You’ll be able to bet on them all at Irish betting sites, going far beyond which team will win.

Whether it’s the Ashes, the T20 World Cup, or the Cricket World cup, you’ll be able to predict the team to win, the number of runs per innings, the top bowler, top batsman, the outright winners of each tournament, and much more. At Bet365, England are currently the favourites to win the 2022 T20 World Cup at 9/4, with India second-favourites at 5/2.

Here are some of the highlights in the cricket calendar at the best Irish betting sites:

• Cricket World Cup
• Twenty20 World Cup
• The Ashes
• Indian Premier League
• ICC Champions Trophy

Boxing and MMA Betting

Boxing betting surges when there’s a big event on, one of the most recent being Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua back in August. However, there are always smaller fights to bet on in between the higher-profile matches. MMA betting is equally thrilling with some of the best fighters being Paddy Pimblett, Dustin Poirier, and Kamaru Usman. You’ll find that top bookies like William Hill, Ladbrokes and Betfair offer odds on all the big UFC fights. 

As well as picking the outright winner of a fight, you can really paint a picture of how the result will come about by betting on the method of victory, whether the fight will go the distance, and how many rounds each fighter will win.

Watch out for these opportunities to bet on boxing and MMA at Irish betting sites:

• IBA World Boxing Championships 
• IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 
• UFC Fight Night
• UFC The Ultimate Fighter
• World Boxing Super Series

Rugby Betting

Rugby is big business in Ireland, with plenty of action throughout the year. Where rugby union is concerned that often comes courtesy of the All-Ireland League. The national league for 50 rugby union teams across the Republic and Northern Ireland is the second highest level of Irish rugby union, after the professional United Rugby Championship (formerly the Pro14) which is a competition involving Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. There is, of course, also the Six Nations which is a hugely popular annual tournament that sees Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, France and Italy competing for the trophy. 

Rugby league is also popular in Ireland, and you’ll certainly find no end of ways to wager on the Wolfhounds on sites like BetVictor, Tonybet and MrPlay. International events round off the markets, with fantastic rugby betting bonuses often appearing in the run-up to big-ticket events. 

Here are some of the most popular rugby events to bet on at Irish online bookies:

• All-Ireland League  
• United Rugby Championship
• Six Nations 
• European Rugby Champions Cup
• Rugby League World Cup
• Super League

Hurling Betting

Listed beside Oman’s Camel Racing and Belgium’s Namur Stilt Jousting as a UNESCO element of intangible cultural heritage, and once described in the Financial Times as the best sport ever, hurling is one of four Gaelic games governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

While often thought of as a niche sport, hurling is popular around the world, and a fact of life in Ireland. First staged in the 1800s, the All-Ireland Senior Championship gets much of the attention from the sporting press, but you’ll find the best Irish bookies feature a host of hurling events worthy of a punt. Women’s hurling is called Camogie, and you can bet on that too. There are a few minor differences between the men’s and the women’s game with the women’s game being managed internationally by the Camogie Association. 

Here’s a roundup of some of the best hurling tournaments, competitions and cups:

• All-Ireland Senior Championship
• National Hurling League
• Nicky Rackard Cup
• Christy Ring Cup
• Poc Fada

Gaelic Football Betting

Dating back to the 14th century, but first played officially in the late 1800s, Gaelic football is one of the Emerald Isle’s most popular sports. It sits alongside hurling, handball and rounders as one of four sports known collectively as the Gaelic Games and is governed by the GAA. 

Like hurling, Gaelic football remains one of the world’s strictly amateur sports, though that doesn’t stop Irish punters placing a few bets on which team will lift the Sam Maguire Cup at the annual All-Ireland Senior Championship at Dublin’s Croke Park. Ladies’ Gaelic football is overseen by the Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association. 

Here are some of the Gaelic football events featured on the best betting sites Ireland:

• All-Ireland Senior Championship
• National Football League
• All-Ireland Club Championship
• Euro Gaelic Football Cup
• GAA World Gaelic Games

Sports Betting Bonuses

One of the best things about sports betting sites is the wide variety of bonuses available. Whatever sport you’re interested in, you’ll likely be able to boost your potential returns or pick up other rewards when placing your bets. Here are some of the most common types of offers available at Irish betting sites.

Matched Deposit Bonuses

Matched deposits are one the most common types of welcome bonuses for new customers. When bettors make their first deposit at the site, Irish bookmakers will match their deposit with bonus credit.

The amount of bonus credit depends on the percentage of the bonus. For example, a 100% bonus would effectively double your money, garnering a £20 bonus from a £20 deposit. There’ll be a maximum amount you can claim, which varies between different sites.

Free Bet Bonuses

Rather than offer customers bonus credit, betting websites will often dish out free bet tokens instead. These are set to a particular value — often £5 or £10 — and can be placed on eligible markets at no cost to the customer.

If your free bet wins, you’ll keep the profit but not the stake. These bonuses are often available for new customers in conjunction with a matched deposit, but are also regularly available to existing customers — Irish betting sites will often roll them out for big football matches.

Cashback

If you’re more interested in a slow and steady recurring offer, then you may want to sign up to a betting site that offers cashback. With this type of deal, you’ll get money back for all of your lost deposits.

The percentage can vary between sites but is often around 10%, meaning you’ll get 10% of your net losses back as withdrawable cash on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Usually, there are no wagering requirements attached, so you can withdraw it from your betting account straight away.

Enhanced Odds

Looking for the best odds is a key part of the process when placing a bet, so any opportunity to increase your potential payout is worth checking out. Many of the best betting sites offer enhanced odds, also known as odds boosts, on a range of markets.

Irish bookmakers will display the original odds alongside the new and improved offer, so punters can clearly see the increased value. Often this can turn the bet from one that wouldn’t appeal to one that could be worth a punt.

Irish Betting Site Bonus Terms and Conditions

Betting site bonus offers are available for all the most popular sports, but usually come with various terms and conditions attached. You’ll need to adhere to these T&Cs, both to qualify for promotions and to be in with a shot of cashing out any winnings. Here are some of the details to watch out for in the small print:

Bet Types 

Qualifying bets for bonuses on Irish betting sites may need to be of a certain type. For example, the terms for a Bet 10 Get 30 welcome offer might state that the qualifying €10 stake must be a single bet or that multiples are okay. Alternatively, wagers like Heinz and Yankee bets may be off limits. 

Betting Markets

Some bonuses allow you to bet on most sporting events, except perhaps for virtual horse racing and esports. Other bonus offers are more specific. 888sport, for example, will pay you up to €20 back as a free American Football bet if your Bet Builder on the Thursday night NFL game loses. 

Minimum Odds

Minimum odds will almost certainly pop up in the T&Cs for betting site bonus offers, usually sitting somewhere between 1.2 and evens. Min odds can apply to qualifying bets, as well as to free bets placed with free bet credits earned from promotions.

Payment Method Restrictions

Where bonuses require a deposit, payment options like e-wallets and Paysafecard are often excluded. You can use them at a later date for other bet deposits, however for the sake of bonuses, you may need to find an alternative. Top bookies like Betway, Boylesports and Bet365 committed to an industry-wide legal ban on credit cards for Irish customers in 2021, so these are off the menu too. 

Wagering Requirements

It’s rare for wagering requirements to apply to straight-up free bets, but rollover demands are entirely possible for bonus funds. At Unibet, for example, you can claim up to €40 back as a bonus if your first bet loses, and you must wager your bonus 3x before you can cash out. Wagering requirements are a lot steeper for bets on casino games such as slots, averaging at around 35x the bonus amount. 

Maximum Win Caps

Winnings caps don’t often apply to sports betting site bonus offers but can still show up. They’re more likely to apply to bonuses such as free spins or casino credit received as part of a welcome package for new players. Always read the T&Cs before accepting the bonus. 

Time Limits

When you claim a bonus offer from bookies like Coral and Bethard, time limits apply. For example, you might get a set number of days after signing up to make your first deposit and place your first bet. And if you’ve scored some free bets, they usually expire within 3-30 days.

Mobile Betting Sites

If you’d prefer to access your betting account and place bets via your phone, you can do this from your mobile browser with no problem at all. The betting platform will be optimised for your screen size and include all the same menu buttons and features, just rearranged to improve the functionality. That means you can browse the full range of markets, build a bet, check out some in-play betting, check your balance, deposit and withdraw funds, and just about anything else.

Below, you’ll find a roundup of some of the advantages and disadvantages of betting on mobile sites instead of your desktop pc.

Irish Betting Site Payment Methods

To place bets and cash out your winnings, you’ll need to set up deposits and withdrawals. The best betting sites support a broad range of payment methods, so you’ll be able to find an option that suits you whatever your preferences.

Debit Cards

You’ll be able to use debit cards to make payments at betting sites much like you would at any online store. Visa and Mastercard are readily available for both deposits and withdrawals. Payouts are slower than most other methods unless Visa Fast Funds is available, which gets the job done in just half an hour.

e-Wallets

The likes of PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller are great alternatives to debit cards if you’d rather not share your bank info. You can enjoy speedy withdrawals and instant deposits by logging in with your e-wallet credentials. The only drawback is that digital wallets are often excluded from unlocking deposit bonuses.

Trustly

If you’d rather stick to using your bank for funding your betting account but like the idea of not having to share your card details, Trustly could be the one for you. It uses Open Banking technology to act as an intermediary between the betting site and your bank. You’ll just need to log in to your bank via Trustly’s secure portal to set up the payments. Withdrawals with Trustly are also processed quicker than debit cards.

Paysafecard

Paysafecard is a type of prepaid card that acts as a voucher you can spend online. Punters can load their betting accounts with funds from a Paysafecard simply by using the 16-digit PIN on the card. That means no bank details and no additional accounts. These vouchers are available to buy in stores.

AstroPay

AstroPay offers a choice of payment options for online bettors. These include the original virtual payment card, called the AstroPay Card, as well as an e-wallet and a prepaid Visa debit card. Deposits made with the various AstroPay services tend to be instant and fee-free, but bonus eligibility and payout times can vary.