With the luck of the Irish, it’s no wonder players are looking for the best online casinos in Ireland. However, we shouldn’t rely on luck to find the best as there are many rogue sites operating to prey on this type of attitude. Fortunately, there are a selection of sites which have been reviewed, regulated and maintained so Irish online players can use their luck on the real money casino games on offer.
Is it legal to gamble online in Ireland?
Initially, there wasn’t much regulation surrounding gambling in Ireland until 1956’s Gaming and Lotteries Act was introduced and made casino gambling illegal. However, loopholes were promptly discovered – all you had to do to gamble at a land-based casino was sign up to be a private member of the gambling clubs, which is an incredibly easy process.
When online gambling was introduced, little to no regulation was implemented, nor was there much action taken to control gambling services until 2013, when the former Irish Minister of Justice Alan Shatter proposed The Gambling Control Bill. The Bill required online casinos to be licensed, which is something important we look for when choosing where to play, and though this Bill did not get passed the concept was introduced two years later.
In 2015 the Gambling (Amendment) Act 2015 was passed and now gaming operators which legally want to offer their services to Irish players are required to apply for a license, making online gambling indeed legal, and safe, for players in Ireland.
Licensed online casino sites for Irish players
Players based in Ireland can access a number of secure and fair sites, which are licensed by top leading gaming jurisdictions. These test the games by the providers and the conduct of the operators to ensure Irish players have a good experience and are overall playing in a secure Internet environment. We detail these sites below and their license in case you want to do any further research – which is always recommended.
Royal Vegas Casino
Royal Vegas Casino is a premier Microgaming-only casino, which is licensed and regulated by the advanced gaming jurisdiction, Malta Gaming Authority, confirming the games are fair for Irish players to use their real money on. Royal Vegas accepts Euro currency so there’s no need to convert any funds and you won’t be charged any conversion rates.
Irish players can also find an array of Microgaming slots, table games, video poker, live casino games, and more on a downloadable or instant platform – the downloadable casino is only available to PC users.
New players can follow our links and register an account with the leading casino site and score a €1200 welcome bonus too.
BGO Casino
BGO doesn’t accept US players, but it does accept the lucky Irish. Licensed and governed by top leading gaming jurisdiction, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, BGO offers a variety of top leading software providers including Playtech, Microgaming, and more.
BGO accepts Euro currency and players can make their real cash bets on the slots, blackjack, roulette, progressives, live casino games, and more with the help of Paris Hilton and Verne Troyer (Mini Me) – the two leading celebrity endorsers of the online casino.
Irish players can also opt in for the new welcome bonus when clicking our links and signing up, of up to €1500 in matched deposits.
Guts online casino
Guts online casino is one of the best available for quick withdrawals, so if luck really is on your side you may want to click the links and sign up here.
Licensed by Malta Gaming Authority and Curacao e-Gaming, Guts offer an array of progressives, live dealer titles, pokies, roulette, blackjack, poker, and more variants, from a variety of providers including NetEnt, BetSoft, ThunderKick, Microgaming, and more. Plus, the operators boast withdrawal processing times of two hours when players opt for a web wallet – Neteller and Skrill, which are both Irish friendly.
Guts also offers a €400 welcome bonus for new players over four matched deposits – plus 100 free spins on NetEnt’s popular slot, Starburst.
32Red Casino
32Red Casino is our other Microgaming-exclusive online casino listed here, but is licensed by a different leading jurisdiction, The Government of Gibraltar, which is considered to be one of the best licenses to obtain.
You can either install the casino client if you have a PC or access the instant casino via your Safari, Firefox, Chrome, or other browser. Both options offer a huge range of slots, table games, casual games, and a live dealer casino featuring Playboy Bunny croupiers.
Irish players will also receive €10 no deposit required when you click our links to the online casino and open an account – when you make your first deposit you can opt to receive €32 for every €20 too.
Thrills Casino
Thrills online casino is geared towards players who like adventure – so if you’re daring enough to head over the rainbow to find the pot of gold follow the links to this Flash casino.
Thrills online casino offers an array of casino games including the classics such as blackjack and roulette, as well other table games, slots, progressives and more from a variety of top leading software providers – NetEnt, Evolution Gaming, BetSoft, and more.
There’s also a welcome bonus of €500 for players based in Ireland, which you can opt in for when you make your first deposit – plus 100 free spins on Starburst.