Gambling is a popular type of entertainment on the island of Ireland Betting and gambling have become part and parcel of the Irish culture. While sports betting, especially betting on horses, is the main draw for gamblers, it faces stiff competition from another form of gambling — casinos. The gambling industry in Ireland is estimated to be worth around €10 billion. More than 6,000 people are working across the island at various private clubs, bookmakers and lottery outlets. The Irish government started to regulate the industry ever since it grew into a profitable business. The Office of Gambling and Control Ireland (OGCI) monitors and enforces the industry in Ireland.
Casino in Ireland
You can always find a casino near you as there are more than 20 land-based casinos in Ireland. Therefore, you are bound to come across an Irish casino in any of the major cities: Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway. Although the size and operation of the casinos may be different, all of them will offer the standard table games, such as blackjack, poker, roulette and baccarat. You will also find video slot machines and video poker.
Casino in Dublin
If you are in Dublin, you will be allowed into most of the casinos if you are 18 years old and above. Only Amusement City requires its members to be at least 21 years. Besides, casinos only allow members to enter. Luckily, most of them provide free membership and the process can be done easily and quickly. The opening hours and dress code are different for each casino. Here you can find the best casino in Dublin.
Empire Casino
Located by O’Connell Street Bridge, this casino is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Empire Casino is the leading place to go if you are looking for bingo and arcade games in the city. There are more than 200 machines that provide an enticing selection of games for gamblers to choose from. You can join their free members’ club, the Vantage club card, and enjoy daily draws, spot prizes and promotions. Guests are given complimentary refreshments and access to free Wi-Fi.
Silver Strand
Just south of Dublin lies the Silver Strand casino, right on the strand in Bray, Wicklow. This seaside casino is open from 9 a.m. till 4 a.m. every day. It offers players a selection of online roulette, slots, video poker and both book and electronic bingo. To take part in draws, spot prizes and promotions, you will need to sign up as a member. The casino offers its patrons complimentary refreshments and free Wi-Fi.
Casinos in Cork
Similarly, you can sign up to be a club member in Cork to play at casinos. Registration is usually a simple process and membership is free. However, you can only be a member if you are 18 years old and above. The dress code and opening hours will vary for each casino in the region. Below are examples of casinos in the Cork region.
Victoria Casino
Located at the centre of the Victorian Quarter, this is one of the leading casino and arcade places in Cork city. The casino opens daily from 10 a.m. to midnight. With a choice of over 200 game machines. You will be spoilt for choices at this casino. Moreover, as a member of the Vantage club card, you can take part in various promotions, draws and spot prizes, which are exclusive to members.
Atlantic Arcade
Just north of Cork city, you will find the Atlantic Arcade and Casino along Tramore Beach, Waterford. As the leading arcade and casino place in Waterford, you can play at the casino every day from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Enjoy all your favourite games like Megaways slots, video poker, bingo and roulette at this casino all day long. With the Vantage club card, you will be informed of the latest bonus draws and events through phone texts, email or even posts. The casino hosts luck dips, mini-games, and other events to entice gamblers on a regular basis. Here you can find out best casino in Cork.
Other Casinos
Besides the casinos in the main cities, you can enjoy gaming experiences at other Irish casinos. We have listed a few more casinos for you. They are:
The Blackthorn Casino
This casino is in the County Donegal, a county of Ireland in the Northern and Western region. The Blackthorn Casino is just by the N13 in Bridgend, Donegal and opens daily from 9.30 a.m. until 8 a.m.
Caesars Casino
Situated right in the heart of Ireland’s cultural centre, Caesars Casino is in Salthill, Galway. Caesars Casino is the place to go if you are looking for some gambling action in this western city. The casino opens daily from 9.00 a.m. till 7.00 a.m.
Sands Amusements
If you are looking to gamble at a tourist seaside resort, then Bundoran is the place for you. As the most southerly town in the Donegal, you can gamble at Sands Amusements from 9.30 a.m. until 1 a.m. on every day.
Star Amusements
As an idyllic town at the foot of the river Crana, Buncrana offers the ultimate gaming experience at the Star Amusements. With over 250 gaming machines to choose from, you can play at Star Amusements daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. You can visit any Irish casino by visiting the following website
Online Gambling
The online gambling market is growing rapidly. Although it is established in England, Wales and Scotland, Ireland is just beginning to embrace online gambling like the other countries. This trend will accelerate in the next few years because of the following reasons.
The popularity of mobile gaming
Online gaming is very popular because of the mobile phone technology that provides easy access to a host of mobile applications and websites. With mobile technology, you can play all your favourite games on the fly. The growth of online gambling will accelerate as more operators start to offer mobile versions of their games.
The limitations of traditional casinos
Land-based casinos and betting houses can only offer a limited number of gaming machines and amusement arcades. There is always limited space at the casino. Instead of visiting a casino near you, you might prefer to access thousands of games from an online casino. Moreover, you will have a wide array of choices when it comes to promotions, such as welcome bonuses and VIP promotions.
Current licensing
Although online gambling is fully legal in Ireland, you will find many gaming operators with licences from overseas rather than in Ireland. Many online operators have licences from the Isle of Man, Alderney, Malta, Gibraltar or Curacao since these are the more recognised and established regulatory bodies for online casinos in Europe.
Use of cryptocurrency
More online casinos in Ireland are increasingly using cryptocurrency as a payment method. Its popularity is growing, and this payment method might rival payment methods like pre-paid cards, debit and credit cards, digital wallets, and mobile payments. This type of payment method is almost instant. In addition, it is a safe method to transfer and keep money.
Growth in live casino
Live casino is an exciting draw in the gaming industry that is attracting gamblers to online casinos. You can play live casinos for popular table games like roulette, blackjack, and poker. Enjoy an authentic gambling experience and interact with dealers in real-time.
Regulation
After the Irish Gambling Control Bill 2018 was passed, there was better regulation of the industry. The aim of this bill was to monitor and control all types of gambling facilities that provide services and products in Ireland, including land-based establishments and online platforms. After the bill was passed, the OGCI took over the responsibility for ensuring fair treatment of players and protecting vulnerable groups like minors.
Best Online Casinos in Ireland
The best online casino in Ireland is licensed, secure, and complete with hundreds of casino games. We provide you with a list of top Irish online casinos. In this section, we have reviewed these top Irish casinos and found the best casino bonuses for you. You can review all the information here to find the casino that is suited for you. Read more to find out more about our top recommended casinos.
Our Top Recommended Casinos
- SlotBox
- Hello Casino
- Diamond Casino
- Casumo
- Slotnite
- Skol Casino
SlotBox
Slotbox is well known for the Best Live Casino in Ireland. On the site you can play online roulette, baccarat, and other online casino games with a live casino dealer. This is one of the newer online casinos since it started in 2021. SlotBox is operated by SlotBox N.V. It holds a gaming licence from Curacao and operates in more than 30 countries. Since it is licensed, SlotBox is a safe casino with an excellent reputation in the industry.
As a new player, you get a 100% welcome bonus of up €100 plus 200 hundred free spins. For regular players, there is a wide range of rewards to attract players such as a weekly reward club, coin exchange and a VIP club known as SlotClub.
The casino offers more than 1000 games, with 35 live casino games, The list of gaming companies supplying to SlotBox: Play’N Go, Relax Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Evolution, and iSoftBet.
The operator gives various popular payment methods for deposits and withdrawals: Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Interac and many more. The minimum deposit limit is €10, while for withdrawal, is €20. The operator allows a maximum withdrawal limit of €4,000 per day.
There is no mobile app available, but its website runs smoothly on any mobile device and does not differ much from the desktop version. The casino provides customer support via live chat and 24/7 email. The website can be accessed in five languages.
Hello Casino
Since being founded in 2014, Hello Casino has established itself in the online casino market. This is a casino operated by White Hat Gaming Ltd., renowned for offering a wonderful range of casino games with decent bonuses and promotions. The casino has high levels of security, fast withdrawals and reliable customer support.
Hello Casino holds licences from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), and Curacao eGaming. Thus, it follows strict rules to guarantee its clients credibility and fairness.
The welcome bonus is spread over the first 3 deposits and is up to €500. Moreover, you can receive a total of 50 bonus spins. These bonus spins can be used on Gonzo’s Quest, Twin Spin Deluxe, Asgardian Stones or Blood Suckers 2.
For existing players, there are a number of loyalty rewards and promotions. Starting with the Easy Mondays promotions, and you can end the week with the Sensational Sundays promotion. The loyalty program is exceptionally rewarding as you can earn points for every €10 you spend on the casino.
There are numerous deposit and withdrawal options for you. Furthermore, all deposits are free and instantaneous. On the contrary, withdrawal can take 24 hours to a few days. You can contact the customer support service via live chat or through email.
Diamond 7 Casino
As one of the established casinos in operation since 2015, Diamond 7 casino has an exciting selection of games for gamblers. This casino is operated by White Hat Gaming Ltd. and holds a UKGC licence. Thus, you can play at Diamond 7 casino without worries as it is safe.
The casino boasts more than 1100 slot games, 60 table games and exciting bonuses. Furthermore, you can get a 100% bonus of up to €100 and a hundred free bonus spins. New players can start with at least a €20 deposit.
The casino has a dedicated mobile app that runs smoothly and adjusts to fit your mobile device. There is a 24/7 live chat option to contact customer support, or you can use email support.
Casumo
Owned by Casumo Services Limited Casinos, this ok casino has been active since 2012. As a seasoned operator, the casino is one of the top-ranked operators. It is licensed by the MGA and offers a secure experience for players.
Casumo has over 300 popular casino games powered by Netent, Microgaming, Quickspin, and other reputable providers. Moreover, new clients get a welcome bonus of up to €300 and 20 free spins on their most popular slot games. Besides the welcome bonus, there are weekly bonus offers and daily reel races. The operator provides a professional customer support team with 24/7 live chat and email support.
Slotnite
Having launched in 2019, Slotnite casino has made an impact as one casino in the world with more than 1,500 slots and games. The company is run by White Hat Gaming Ltd and is licensed by the UKGC. Slotnite employs advanced security tools to keep players’ details and financial transactions confidential.
For new Irish players, there is a first deposit of 100% bonus of up to €250 and 100 free bonus spins. On the second deposit, you can enjoy a 50% bonus of up to €250 with an additional 50 bonus spins. Finally, on the third deposit, there is a 50% of up to €500 along with 50 bonus spins. The minimum deposit amount is €10.
You can contact their customer support team via live chat or email.
Skol Casino
As a brand new casino launched in 2021, Skol Casino has a different and refreshing approach to gaming. The main page is brightly coloured and the design resembles a friendly blog style than a conventional casino layout. As White Hat Gaming Limited owns it, you can be sure that it has top-notch features. Skol casino is licensed by both the UKGC and the MGA.
There is a big welcome bonus for new players at the Casino — up to €1,300 and a 250 free bonus spin. Instead of offering it at one go, this bonus is spread across 5 deposits. The minimum deposit is €10 only.
Skol provides over 2,700 games from various popular game providers. If you have any queries, you can contact their dedicated support team at a live chat or by emailing them.
Irish-themed Slots
Irish-themed slot games are very popular among gamblers as they are unique, innovative and offer excellent rewards and bonuses. We have provided the top 10 Irish video slots for you below.
The list gives you fantastic slot games to enjoy, but one game stands above the rest. Finn and the Swirly Spin is the clear favourite by NetEnt. As it is an incredible game with different features and exciting bonuses, this game will get even the most seasoned gamblers hooked on it.
Since the Irish-themed slot games are popular, there are new games released each year; Lucky Emerald is a new game by Playtech. It is a low-volatility slot for all players, guaranteeing a great gaming experience and many hours of fun.
Racetrack Riches Megaboard is another enjoyable game that provides a lot of excitement. As a high-volatility game, it could potentially give big rewards to players. The bonus features can multiply wins by up to five thousand times.
You can play these slot games at Slotbox.
The top 10 Irish slots
- Finn and the Swirly Spin – An Innovative NetEnt slot
- Luck O’ The Irish Fortune Spins – Wheel-of-fortune type spin game
- Racetrack Riches Megaboard – A colourful high volatility slot
- Rainbow Ryan – 4,096 different paytables to earn great rewards
- Leprechaun’s Fortune – Customisable bets for all players
- Shamrock Lock – Attractive free spins and bonus
- Leprechaun Riches – High RTP and fun gameplay
- Lucky Emeralds – Low-volatility slot ideal for all players
- Celtic Goddess – Solid core game with fantastic features
- Shamrockers – Great bonus features and prizes
Classic Casino Games
While new games continue to flood the online gaming scene, classic casino games are still hugely popular. Most developers create games based on classic gaming patterns. The newer games of this category have familiar gameplay. Furthermore, these games are accessible over the internet using devices like desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
A significant percentage of players still enjoy classic casino games. We have given the six popular classic casino games that you can play in any online casino, including SlotBox. They include:
- Roulette
- Baccarat
- Slot games
- Poker
- Bingo
- Lottery
Casino Bonus
You can always find some of the best promotions and casino bonuses in our recommended casino sites. Starting with an exciting welcome promotion that includes bonuses of up to hundreds of dollars and free spins.
Irish online casinos will continue to offer promotions and rewarding VIP bonuses. Bonuses give more choices than you could imagine and ensure that you return for more exciting adventures on your chosen bonus casino.
New technologies
With the rise of online gambling in Ireland, there is also increased use of new and exciting technology. For example, with the smartwatch technology, you can bet on your favourite sports on certain bookmaker apps through your watch!
Similarly, casino companies have been experimenting with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in the casino industry. By wearing a VR headset, users will be able to enjoy a realistic 360-degree view of a casino. Through Augmented Reality, users can even begin to interact with slot machines and casino tables. While the likes of VR and AR may not be fully accessible to everyone for a while, it is exciting to see that these technologies are in the pipeline.
Summary
With several remarkable land based and online casinos in Ireland, you can’t miss finding a suitable one for you. If you want to visit a casino near you, use this article as a guide to find one. Also, if you want to enjoy the gaming experience from the comfort of your home, there is a list of top-rated online casinos for you to choose from.
Although gambling has always been a popular hobby, Ireland is just starting to embrace online casinos. The future of Irish gambling will see a more regulated, licensed and safer casino industry.
Furthermore, the rise of mobile gaming, cryptocurrencies, constraints of land-based casinos, and growth in live casinos augurs well for the future of online casinos. New technologies will make the industry more exciting and accessible to a greater number of gamblers in Ireland. So, if you are a gambler, you are in for more exciting times ahead!
