Top Real Money Online Casinos in Ireland 2024

What is a Real Money Casino?

Real money online casinos involve players placing wagers with their own cash and collecting real money winnings on successful bets. The games libraries of real money casinos replicate those of physical casinos, with roulette, blackjack and computerized slot machines the most popular choices for many real money online gamblers. Before you can place wagers at a real money casino, you will need to sign up to the site, authorise your identity, and make a deposit into your new casino account.    

Real money online casinos exist in contrast to social casinos – an online space that places a greater emphasis on socialising, substituting real money for an alternative in-house currency like coins or points. Social casinos might feature many of the same games you’d find at a real money casino, although you will be strictly gambling with the site’s fake currency. These casinos are often hosted by social media sites. 

Players might also find free-to-play versions of casino games available at a real money casino, and these are offered as a way to bring players up to speed on the rules and betting processes of particular titles. The primary function of real money casinos is to place real money wagers and reap the rewards if your bets come off.

Types of Real Money Games

Real money games can be divided into the three following categories. 

Real Money Skill Games

The most skilful casino game is undoubtedly poker, where players are asked to make judgements not only on the strength of their hand, but on the strength of all the other players’ hands too. Knowing when to hold your nerve and when to fold are key elements to poker, involving patience, understanding, and lots of skill. 

Blackjack is another card game that requires skill, though not as much as poker. Again, understanding when it’s time to stick and when it’s time to hit will have a big impact on the overall outcome, and players can adopt various famous blackjack strategies to help inform their decision-making. 

Fantasy games and virtual sports are two other types of games at real money casinos that demand some skill to be successful. As well as this, players of these games require accurate knowledge of the teams and players in question to stand a chance of winning any money. 

Real Money Games of Chance

Dominating real money casinos are games of chance. In particular, online slots make up roughly 90% of the games libraries of most real money casinos. Just like their mechanical cousins, slots are entirely random, determined by regularly audited random number generator (RNG) technology. 

Also belonging in this category is the famous roulette wheel, as well as all types of bingo, lottery, and scratchcard games. To win any money in this category, you just hit spin, or click a button, and hope your luck’s in!

Real Money Online Tournaments

Poker, fantasy sports, and esports betting games also belong in the online tournament category, where players compete with each other for various real money casino prizes. The rise in celebrity gaming has also opened up the wider world of video games to real money tournaments, and players can now place bets and compete in these tournaments through hundreds of different games. Fortnite and League of Legends are good examples of popular video game tournament options outside of the esports division.

At a real money casino site, you’re likely to come across the following five betting options.

Slots

The majority of real money gambling at an online casino is done at the site’s collection of slots. In the past, these games consisted of just one or two paylines and a few reels, but today software providers work hard to imbue their slot games with interesting animations, exciting bonus rounds, and lots of quirky themes and characters. 

Although there’s a lot more going on compared to the mechanical machines of old, the gameplay remains the same: just spin the reels and hope for the best!

Table Games

If computerised slots aren’t to your taste, real money online casinos will also offer a wide range of table games. These games – including roulette, blackjack, and baccarat – have captured imaginations for centuries, and are responsible for lots of famous moments in popular culture. 

Their availability at real money casinos is no less interesting, with plenty of game developers, variants, and betting ranges on offer. We also like to see sites that host games of dice too, such as craps and sic bo. 

Poker

You might be wondering why poker wasn’t mentioned in the category above, and it’s because it technically isn’t classed as a table game, since players compete against one another as opposed to the casino. 

Poker tables are available at Irish real money casinos, but poker’s popularity in modern times has created a wide range of dedicated poker sites, diminishing the number of games you’ll find at online casinos. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of poker options to enjoy across a range of popular variants. 

Live Casino

All real money casinos today have a section dedicated to live dealer games – a hybrid experience between visiting a physical casino and playing online. With professional croupiers managing the games, live casinos stream the action directly to participating players, who follow the betting calls and customs of a brick-and-mortar casino. 

Table games – along with many innovative variations – are incredibly popular in this format, but developers also spend time adapting much-loved family board games and TV shows for the live casino arena. 

Sports Betting

The biggest real money casinos also double up as sportsbooks, where punters can place bets on sporting events. These sportsbooks offer a wide range of betting markets, which often extend beyond sport and into the realm of politics, esports, and fantasy gaming. 

Real Money Bonuses

One of the biggest attractions of real money casinos is the welcome bonus offered to new players when they sign up. Following the welcome bonus, players can expect to receive a consistent string of bonuses throughout their time at the site. Here are some of the most common.

Matched Deposit Bonuses

When a real money casino offers a matched deposit, they’re agreeing to equal a percentage of your bonus up to a certain limit. For example, you might receive an offer as big as ‘100% up to €200’ as part of the welcome bonus, which would credit your account with €400 following a €200 deposit. 

Free Spins

Since slots are the most popular real money casino game, free spins are the most popular bonus. Free spins are typically credited to an account following a minimum deposit; for example, the casino might offer 50 free spins when you deposit €25. Free spins are also regularly attached to other offers, particularly matched deposit bonuses.

Reload Bonuses

Welcome bonuses are definitely the most generous bonuses you’ll come across, but it’s the quality of the bonuses offered to existing players that can really make the difference. These bonuses are known as reload bonuses, referring to the bonuses offered for reloading your account with subsequent deposits.

Loyalty/VIP schemes

Many real money online casinos will run loyalty points programmes or VIP reward schemes to boost player engagement on the site. Loyalty points are usually used as an on-site currency, and can be exchanged for prizes; VIP status is granted to players with high account activity and typically rewards them with personalised account management tools, invites to tournaments, and other special perks.

Bonus Terms and Conditions

All casino bonuses will come with some associated terms and conditions. These T&Cs often make it very difficult for gamblers to convert bonuses into withdrawable winnings; in most instances, only the high rollers will be able to do so. That being said, clearing wagering requirements is often beyond the scope of many high rollers’ budgets. 

But before you start thinking bonuses are redundant, many gamblers view them as a means to familiarise themselves with a site and its games without staking too much of their own cash. With this in mind, here are the conditions you’re likely to encounter at a real money online casino. 

Wagering Requirements

A bonus’s wagering requirements commit gamblers to betting their bonus amount a certain number of times before they’re able to make a withdrawal request against any bonus-associated winnings. These requirements are calculated by multiplying the value of the bonus at a specific amount, usually between 20-40x. 

Here’s an example: let’s say you took advantage of a matched deposit bonus worth €20 with a playthrough requirement of 30x. If you were looking to withdraw any funds connected to this bonus, you’d need to wager a total of €600 (20 x 30) before you could do so. 

If wagering requirements are attached to a free spins bonus, the requirement will apply to any winnings landed with the free spins. 

Game Restrictions

Casino sites will often restrict the games that are eligible to be played with bonus money. It’s likely that the list of restrictions will target games that have higher than average return to player (RTP) percentages, although plenty allow players to use their funds on fan favourites like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest. If you know which title you’d like to play with your bonus, check the terms to see if it’s available. 

Winning Caps

If you’ve got high hopes of converting your bonus into cash, be aware that there may be a limit as to how much stands to be won. This condition is known as a winnings cap; if a payout exceeds the cap, then only the winnings earned up to the limit will be received. It’s easy to view winning caps as an impediment to gambling freedoms, but think of them instead as sensible on-site limiters. 

Time Limits

Converting bonuses into withdrawable cash will require decent timekeeping – not only on the overall bonus, but also on the wagering requirements. Real money casinos will set the clock against both, and if time runs out on either, all outstanding bonus funds will become void. Some sites are more lenient than others in this area, with time limits typically ranging from a few days to a month.   

Real Money Payment Methods

There are lots of different payment methods available for real money casino players. All of these have their own benefits and drawbacks, and will appeal to individuals based on their own set of gambling preferences. Here are some of the groups of payment options.

Bank Cards

Although the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) outlawed credit card transactions at real money casinos back in 2020, Irish punters can still use debit card payments for their deposits, an option available at all Irish online casinos. However, debit card payouts are among the slowest of all payment options, with withdrawals taking between 2-5 working days to appear in the designated account.

e-Wallets

PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller are some of the biggest e-wallet names when it comes to real money casino payments. Punters are drawn to the ease of e-wallet transactions, which remove the need to remember sensitive bank information at the point of sale. Instead, e-wallet payments are authorised by a designated username, password, or PIN, which simplifies and speeds up the depositing process. Now widely accepted at Irish real money casinos, e-wallets are a great all-round banking option.

Prepaid Cards

Paysafecard and other prepaid cards aren’t linked to any bank accounts, so users can’t request any withdrawals with this method. Like e-wallets, there’s no exchange of banking information during the transaction, making payments speedy and secure. It also makes it impossible to spend any money that hasn’t already been loaded onto the prepaid card, allowing players to keep a close eye on their spending.   

Pay by Phone Bill

An increasingly popular option at real money casinos, pay by phone services like Boku and Siru allow punters to make deposits by keying in their mobile phone number. The network provider picks up the bill on the user’s behalf before charging it to their account at the end of the month. This option is famed for its convenience, but there are strict limits on deposits and no opportunities to withdraw.

Cryptocurrencies

Now included in the growing list of payment method menus at online casinos are cryptocurrencies. In particular, Bitcoin’s popularity is increasing for many online gamblers who are attracted to the high limits on deposits and withdrawals and the immediacy of payouts. 

The other side of the coin is that cryptocurrencies are far less regulated than other financial markets, so using them carries a certain amount of risk that other banking options don’t have. If you’re interested in depositing with crypto, make sure you carry out some research first. 

Real Money Casino Apps

Here are some of the best real money casino apps around.

Play OJO

With just under 1,000 casino games in its library, Play OJO is an excellent real money casino that can be enjoyed via its app on both Android and iOS mobile devices. New players will receive 50 free spins to use on either Play’n GO’s Book of Dead or NetEnt’s Starburst, and all bonuses and promotions are wager-free.

888 Casino

888 Casino’s games can be played through its native Android and iOS app, along with its dedicated poker and sports betting alternatives. There’s an €88 no deposit bonus upon sign up, followed by a matched deposit bonus of 100% up to €100 on your first deposit.  

PaddyPower Games

PaddyPower’s games collection includes hundreds of exclusive titles that won’t be found anywhere else. New players will receive 100 wager-free spins on its daily jackpot titles where jackpots must be won every day. After this, players will be welcomed with an additional 100 free spins following their first deposit. Alongside its highly popular sports betting app, mobile players can download PaddyPower Games on Android and iOS devices. 

Are Real Money Casinos Safe?

No online casinos are permitted to practice gambling in Ireland without presenting a licence from an approved gambling state, meaning that all sites and games are properly regulated and safe to use. It’s the task of organisations like eCOGRA to audit and regulate the games that appear at real money casinos; in order to do this, they take a look at the advertised set of statistics (such as RTP rates) that accompany these games to make sure everything is as it should be, and that customers aren’t being duped in any way. 

With that said, all real money casino players should be aware of the inherent house edge built into every casino game. If the house didn’t always win, then the gambling industry as we know it simply wouldn’t exist. All casinos – whether online or on the Vegas strip – are businesses aiming to make as much money as they can. So while all the real money casinos you’ll find on our site are perfectly legal and safe, they should be used with caution and with the understanding that players need to be mindful of their own personal gambling habits. 

Where Can I Get Help for Problem Gambling and Addiction?

As an affiliate to the gambling industry, we take our responsibility to promote gambling in a healthy and positive light very seriously, and we endeavour to make sure our users know the risks of gambling, the warning signs of problematic behaviour, and where to find help.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from the harms of problem gambling, here’s a list of organisations that offer friendly, professional care. 

• • GamCare 
  • GAMSTOP 
  • GambleAware 
  • HSE
  • Dunlewey Addiction Services