Best Betting Sites in Ireland 2024

The focus on developing the online sportsbook market has created a big buzz in the industry in the last few years. This increased interest and appetite has led a number of casinos to diversify their range and move into sports betting.

There are some strong examples of online casinos that have made the move, such as Dachbet and Weissbet.

To comply with international laws, Ireland has also enabled overseas operators to apply for an Irish betting licence. Some big names have jumped at the opportunity to move into the licensed Irish market, such as Verde and TonyBet.

All of this has meant that the Irish sports betting scene is bigger than ever, with more sports available, including global and international events.

With so many betting sites in Ireland, the choice can be overwhelming. However, relying on key criteria to assess and compare bookies can be invaluable in deciding where to bet.

When we’re rating betting sites, we use certain core criteria which are important. While site design and easy navigation can add to the experience, there are other more integral factors that we look for first.

It’s easy to check the same criteria for yourself if you know what to look for. We would always recommend assessing the following:

• Licensing and safety. All betting sites should hold a licence from a reputable body to guarantee the safety and security of money and data. Any sports betting site without a valid licence should not be considered fit for gambling.
• Odds. The odds available should be competitive compared to other betting sites. Some bookmakers are more competitive in some sports than others, so be sure to check the markets you’re the most interested in. 
  
• Sports betting offer. Some markets will be available almost universally, while others may only be available at selected betting sites. Look at the betting offer from the bookmaker to see the range of available markets and bets.
  
• Bonuses. Not all betting sites offer the same types of bonuses, and the terms and conditions may affect the potential payout, so it’s important to shop around for the best deals.
  
• Payment methods. An increasing number of payment methods are now available, but some options aren’t yet universal, such as cryptocurrency. We also check the processing times for withdrawals and any fees that are charged.
  

As gambling options have become more diverse, betting sites have had to evolve to offer players a full range of features. The most popular betting sites in Ireland now include features such as live betting and accumulators, plus the option to cash out or create custom bets.

All of these features are now considered to be standard and without them, betting sites may struggle to attract and retain players. We’re going to look at each of these features in a little more detail below.

Live or In-Play Betting

Advancements in technology have brought many more options to the world of betting, including live betting. Sometimes also referred to as in-play betting, live betting allows players to bet on an event after it’s started.

Traditionally, all bets had to be placed before an event began. After the start, the odds can dramatically fluctuate as play unfolds. For example, a goal or a key injury could completely change the likely outcome, altering the odds.

With live betting, players can respond quickly to key events by placing new bets and getting the latest odds, which could be very different from pre-game odds.

The very best sportsbooks provide up-to-the-minute information about the game so players can take part in live betting even if they’re not watching the action.

The vast majority of sports offer live betting, but the precise options available depend on the sport.

Accumulation Bets

Accumulation bets, sometimes known as accas, are tough bets to win but offer the potential for great payouts. An acca is a combination of several single bets, where the separate odds are combined to offer a much larger prize.

The only drawback is that you need to win every single bet in the acca in order to get a payout.

The payouts are so high on an acca because the calculation takes the winnings from each bet and adds it to the stake for the next leg.

For example, a player bets on four teams in the English Premier League to win, and the odds of each bet are 2/1.

Placing four winning single bets would return £12 - £2 winnings on each bet, plus the return of the £1 stake.

The same four bets at 2/1 included in an acca would return £81:

• £1 staked on the first leg of the acca bet
• £2 + £1 return of stake won from the first leg and automatically placed on the second bet
  
• £6 + £3 return of stake won from the second leg and automatically placed on the third leg
  
• £18 + £9 return of stake won from the third leg and automatically placed on the fourth leg
  
• £54 + £27 return of stake won from the fourth leg = £81 acca winnings
  

Some bookies offer acca insurance, which refunds the bet if only one leg of an acca loses. 

Live Streaming

Live streaming isn’t a type of betting; but it is a facility that bookies can offer players to enhance their experience. Live streaming allows the player to watch the event live directly via the betting site.

Live streaming isn’t just great entertainment, it’s also invaluable for live betting and for deciding whether to cash out. Bookies often include live stats and info for those not live streaming, but there’s not really any substitute for watching the game.

For example, watching a live-streamed football match between [placeholder] and [placeholder] makes it much easier to place in-play bets, such as the next player to score or who will win the next corner.

The constant arrival of new bookies means there’s always a good selection of live-streaming sites, but top sites such as [placeholder] are always worth checking out.

Cash Out

Cashing out is an option that players can use to give them more flexibility over their bets. There may be times when it might be prudent to finish a bet earlier, rather than leaving it open, and cashing out makes this possible.

There are various scenarios where cashing out is particularly attractive. This includes when things are starting to go wrong, and you expect them to get worse. Cashing out allows you to collect any winnings before the sum dwindles any further! Cashing out is also popular when the payout has reached a high point. If you suspect that’s a peak and the value may tumble as the game progresses, cashing out can bag you the biggest win.

The cashout value is not a static figure and will constantly change throughout the event. The amount available to cash out will reflect what’s happened in the game and so making a decision quickly is often advisable. 

Bet Builder

A bet builder is similar to an accumulator but rather than picking from a selection of different events, these bets all come from the same one. The player makes multiple selections from the same event, adding them all to the same betting slip.

This makes a bet builder a type of specialised custom bet. However, similar to an acca, all selections must win for a payout. There’s typically a limit to the number of bets that can be combined, and not all markets will be available. This is because the bets may be overlapping, such as betting on both teams in a football match to score first.

The process of calculating the odds on a bet builder is more complicated than on an acca. This is because the bets on an acca are unrelated. However, the picks on a bet builder may influence each other, so the betting site will have to calculate your specific odds when your selection is complete.

With so many betting sites available, there’s real competition to attract and retain players. Most bookies try to achieve this by offering the most attractive betting bonus.

This is great news for players as it means there’s a lot of choice, with many different bonuses available to claim. However, bonuses can have some fundamental differences, even if they look similar at first glance. It’s therefore always worth checking out the terms and conditions closely to fully understand what’s on offer.

Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most common types of betting bonuses.

Free Bets

Free bets are one of the most popular types of sportsbook bonuses as they’re simple and easy to use, and the benefits are clear.

As the name suggests, a free bet gives you credit to place a bet; this is often managed via bonus credit on your betting account. You can’t withdraw free bet credits, you can only place a bet with them. There may be certain conditions, such as placing the bet within a specified time period but other than that, the bet credit is yours to use.

A free bet has a value, such as €10, which typically has to be used all at once rather than incrementally. If your bet wins you’ll receive the payout, but you won’t receive the stake back too. For example, if you bet €10 on a 5/1 bet, you’ll receive winnings of €50 rather than €50 plus a refund of your €10 stake.

Players often opt to use free bets for a higher risk bet because if it loses, there’s nothing lost.

Acca Boosts

An acca boost is a type of bonus that’s now offered by many betting sites that increases the value of any accumulator bet. Accas, as accumulator bets are commonly known, are pretty tough to land so it enables the bookies to be more generous with the potential rewards.

Every site has its own terms and conditions that apply to the acca boost, such as the number of bets in the acca and minimum odds. You might also see a sliding scale with a higher acca boost available for bets with more legs.

The boost is expressed as a percentage which is added to any winnings, increasing the total payout. For example, a five-leg acca might have a 3% boost, while a 10-leg acca payout might enjoy a 20% uplift in value.

Deposit Bonuses

Deposit bonuses are somewhat similar to free bets, except that the value of your bonus is directly related to how much you deposit. The bonus will specify a % value which will be credited to your account either after you have made the deposit, or when you’ve placed your bet.

For example, a betting site may offer a 100% deposit match bonus up to a maximum of €100 and a minimum of €20. This means that provided you deposit €20 or more, you’ll receive the same value credited to your betting account, up to a maximum of €100. If you deposit more than €100, you’ll still only receive €100 as that’s the maximum bonus.

It’s very important to check the terms and conditions on these types of bets as there can be restrictions or onerous conditions, such as hefty wagering requirements. Shopping around at different sportsbooks can help identify the betting sites with the most generous deals.

Cashback

Not all bonuses are designed to increase the amount you win; cashback is a way of guarding against losses.

When you gamble, there’s never any guarantee of a win and even the most successful players will lose some bets. Cashback reduces the amount you lose by giving you back a percentage of your losses.

Cashback bonuses can come in different forms. You might get a single bet that’s covered by a 100% cashback bonus. This means you’ll be given the money back as bonus credit if you lose.

Alternatively, a cashback bonus might cover a percentage of total losses over a longer period, such as a week. These are usually a lower cashback percentage, such as 20%.

All types of cashback bonuses have certain requirements, such as a minimum deposit amount. There is also a maximum limit on the losses or size of bets that can be covered by a cashback guarantee.

Modern betting markets are increasingly sophisticated, with many options for players to choose from. Rather than a simple binary choice of trying to pick a winner, there’s now a wide range of diverse bets available.

The precise bets available depend on the sport, but allow players to use their expertise to bet on specific aspects of the game. For example, in football it’s possible to bet on the number of goals scored, the goalscorer, matchwinner, margin of victory, and halftime score, to name just a few.

The huge choice of betting options is a real advantage for players, offering the opportunity to develop a betting strategy that draws on personal knowledge and provides the greatest chance of a win.

Most betting sites offer a wide range of payment methods, so there’s something to suit every bettor. Unlike withdrawals, deposits are usually processed immediately, regardless of the method chosen. Some betting sites will only allow players to withdraw winnings via the same method they used to make a deposit, so it’s important to understand the limitations.

Cryptocurrency and e-wallets are rapidly growing in popularity, but more conventional means of payment, such as debit cards and bank wire transfers, are also available.

Fast Payout Betting Sites

When you’ve had a win and want to withdraw your winnings, having to wait around is a major inconvenience. Each betting site has its own processing times, which can vary significantly, but there are some payment methods that are usually quicker than others.

Cryptocurrency is often the quickest option as there’s no middleman involved in the process. With a transfer straight from the casino to your crypto account, withdrawals can be extremely speedy.

E-wallets are another option, almost always delivering a payout within 24 hours.

Traditional routes such as bank transfers or debit cards can take longer, although some fast payout betting sites can offer payment to certain types of bank account on the same day. 

Minimum Deposit Betting Sites

Every betting site will have a minimum amount that can be deposited in a single transaction. This limit may vary depending on the payment method chosen.

The usual minimum deposit is €10, but there are some sites that require €20 or more. If you’re just starting out or have a low budget, this might seem like a large sum to part with. Minimum deposit betting sites allow you to deposit a smaller sum, typically starting from €5.

You might see some bookies offering €1, but this is the minimum bet rather than the minimum deposit limit.

Betting Sites Payout Time

The appetite for sports betting has widened, and it’s now possible to gamble on a varied and diverse range of global sports. Irish bettors can take their pick from traditional options including football, horse racing and golf right through to more recent additions such as MMA.

⚽ Football Betting

Football betting is one of the most popular options for bettors in Ireland, with the English Premier League attracting lots of attention. Teams such as Manchester United and Liverpool are always well-backed, with high interest in their fixtures.

Although live betting is possible with many sports, it’s particularly well-suited to football. With many options, such as predicting the next corner, goal, or yellow card, the available bets are almost unlimited.

Unlike more niche sports, you’ll find football betting available on every sportsbook licensed in Ireland.

🥊Boxing Betting

Ireland has a history of producing world-class boxers such as Steve Collins and Barry McGuigan so it’s not a surprise to discover this is a popular sport to bet on in the Emerald Isle.

Unlike sports such as football, where big games take place every week, big-name boxing matches are much less frequent. This means if you want to bet regularly, you’ll need to diversify to some of the lower-level fights.

Both pre-game and live betting are available in boxing. As well as betting on the winner of the fight, players can bet on whether it will be a knockout or a points victory, and how long the fight will last.

🥊 MMA and UFC Betting

MMA and UFC are more recent additions to the Irish betting options, but the market is red-hot with punters. Possibly because of Ireland’s strong ties with boxing, there’s a lot of demand for fighting sports.

Many of the options to bet on in MMA and UFC are similar to boxing, with players opting to bet on the victor, the style of the victory, and the length of the bout. Over/under bets are also possible, as well as live betting.

🏎️ Formula 1 Betting

Formula 1 is the leading motorsport for sports betting in Ireland, and during the F1 season, there’s plenty of interest on betting sites.

F1 has more in common with horse racing than other sports, such as football or rugby. This is because similar to horse racing, there aren’t as many options as with other sports.

There’s still plenty to choose from however, with available bets including the race winner, podium finish, winning margin, and fastest lap.

Longer-term bets, such as the winner of the driver or constructor championships, are another option to consider.

🏉 Rugby Betting

Like football, rugby is another sport that’s considered to be one of Ireland’s passions. Children are taught to play rugby in many Irish schools, so there’s a love of the game from the grassroots up.

The Irish national team has enjoyed success in the Six Nations in recent years, and this has helped to swell interest in the sport even further.

Whether it’s betting on an international game or a domestic match, there are multiple betting markets available. These include total points, winning margin, and match winner, as well as more complex options such as handicap betting.

⛳ Golf Betting

Ireland is home to the oldest golfing union in the world plus a number of world-class courses, making this sport extremely popular on betting sites.

There are a number of international tournaments throughout the year such as the US Masters, British Open, and PGA Championship, plus the bi-yearly Ryder Cup. Other tournaments take place in Ireland throughout the year including the Irish Challenge, Irish PGA Championship, Irish Senior Open, and the Dubai Duty-Free Irish Open.

With a large field of players, there are many options for betting. Similar to horse racing, it’s possible to bet on an outright winner or back them each way if you think the result could be very close.

Other golfing bets include matchup betting, place bets, betting on the cut, and which golfer will get the best single-round score.

🏇🏼 Horse Racing Betting

Ireland has an unshakeable pedigree for horse racing, with a long history of producing winners and successful trainers. Perhaps it is little surprise then that it’s the second most popular sport for Irish bettors, attracting huge numbers of bets every week.

There are some prestigious races which garner attention from around the world, such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. However, there are also smaller races being run all year round which provides endless opportunities for betting fans.

Betting on horse racing is simpler than many other sports, as bettors typically pick a winner or place an each-way bet. Some betting sites offer groups of bets known as exotics, which include options such as trifecta and exacta. These bets involve picking more than one horse to finish in the right order, so they’re harder to land. However, if you win an exotic, the payout is typically higher, which makes them popular with experienced players.

The betting odds describe the bookies’ calculation of how likely an outcome will happen, in their opinion. Using a sophisticated system of statistics and probability, every betting site will calculate the likelihood of an event and offer odds based on this calculation.

Bookies give higher odds to events they don’t think are very likely to happen, such as the underdog beating the favourite. Lower odds are given to outcomes which bookies believe are more probable, such as the favourite winning a football match.

Placing a bet on an outcome which has higher odds means you’ll get a larger payout if you win, but the chances of winning will be lower. Conversely, placing a bet on an outcome with lower odds means you’ll win less, but the chances of winning will be greater.

Payouts from Betting Sites

There are many different formats for odds, but in Ireland, the most commonly used type is fractional odds.

Fractional odds are very easy to understand, even if you are completely new to betting. You will see two figures: the one on the left is how much you could win in return for betting the figure on the right.

For example, if the odds for Team A winning a football match are 4/1, this means that you’ll win €4 for every €1 you bet. You will also receive your stake back. In this example, if you placed a bet of €2, you would receive €10 back from the bookie i.e., 4 x €2 plus your original stake of €2.

The popularity of mobile betting means that virtually every site now offers the facility to play on mobile devices. This might be via a desktop site that’s been optimised for mobile use or via an app.

Whether you use an app or desktop site is a matter of personal preference. An app can be accessed very quickly, and should offer the same functionality as a traditional desktop site. This includes a full range of sporting markets and betting options.

However, mobile betting isn’t always ideal, especially for live betting. This is because the app can be interrupted by phone calls, notifications, or incoming messages, which can be catastrophic for any betting where speed is of the essence.

Every betting site has terms and conditions, and it’s essential to check these before placing a bet. Some of the most common terms you might find include:

• KYC Verification: every betting site is obliged to verify the identity of the player through a process called Know Your Customer (KYC). This means documentation may be required to prove your identity; no withdrawals can be made until KYC verification is complete.
• Bonus terms: there may be limitations on how to redeem a bonus, such as a minimum deposit. You may also be only able to use your bonus credit on events with odds above a specified amount.
  
• Account inactivity: if you do not log in and play for a specified period of time, your account may be deemed to be inactive. The betting site may void your account and deduct fees for administration until your balance is wiped out.
  
• Deposit and withdrawal limits: it’s common for betting sites to have minimum and maximum limits for deposits and withdrawals. This means even if you have a big win, you’ll only be able to withdraw up to the limit within the specified time period.
  

Sports betting has been legislated for in Ireland since the Betting Act of 1931 was introduced. This was the primary piece of legislation controlling sports betting until the law was updated with the Betting (Amendment) Act of 2015.

This change in the law made it compulsory for all betting sites to hold a licence, including online operators. However, this law stopped short at introducing a regulator, leaving the Irish market exposed to the less stringent framework of self-regulation.

In 2022, the Gambling Regulation Bill came into effect, a major legal reform. No changes were made to the legality of sports betting, but a new gambling regulator was set up. This law legalised the concept of responsible gambling in Ireland, placing obligations on betting sites and banning certain products such as free bets.

Offshore betting sites can continue to serve Irish players, but if they do not apply for a licence, the new regulator has the power to apply to the courts to get the site blocked.

There are never any absolute guarantees of winning when you gamble, and it’s important to only ever bet with money that you can afford to lose. However, there are some strategies that can help improve the odds of a win, which can be particularly useful for beginners. Below, we take a look at a few of the most common.

Betting on Favourites

Betting on the favourite means backing the outcome that has the shortest odds. Although this will give you the lowest return, it’s also the most statistically likely. In other words, although you might win less money, you’ll probably win far more frequently if you back the favourite. You can improve your potential returns by shopping for the most competitive odds from different bookies.

Focusing on One Sport

Unlike some other types of gambling, you can improve your chances of winning with sports betting by knowing your subject well. Sticking to one sport will allow you to specialise and study the stats in depth rather than spreading your knowledge around too thinly.

Odds Shopping

Not every betting site will offer the same odds which is why it’s common for bettors to have accounts with multiple bookies. Before placing a bet, it’s a good idea to shop around to find the most competitive odds rather than simply accepting what your favourite betting site offers.

Value Betting

A value bet is one where the chances of winning are more in your favour than the quoted odds suggest. Bookies don’t always get things right so being able to identify the value bets is a big asset. Specialising in one sport and comparing odds across the market can help to identify the value bets on offer.

Arbitrage Betting Strategy

Arbitrage is a way of betting where all possible outcomes of an event are covered, such as betting on both players to win in a tennis match. You’ll need to place bets with different betting sites in order to achieve this. The benefit of arbitrage betting is that it’s a guaranteed win. However, to be profitable using this system you’ll need to shop around carefully to find the value bets.

In Ireland, sports betting has never been more popular and recent changes in legislation offer greater protection for players. There are a vast number of betting sites available, but it’s important to always check that you’re playing at a licensed site.

For this reason, we’d recommend sticking to top Irish betting sites such as Unibet and TonyBet. With licensed status, multiple payment options, and diverse markets, you can be confident about betting online.

If you want to check out new betting sites in Ireland, remember to refer back to our handy guide above. Look for payment options, licensing, odds, markets, and bonuses to root out the best bookies.

Whether you’re betting on global sports such as football, rugby, and horse racing or domestic sports that are popular closer to home, such as Gaelic football, you’ll find a range of competitive odds at some of the best bookmakers in Ireland.