Gambling is a major market in several countries all over the world and Ireland is no exception. Every nation has its laws and regulations regarding gambling, whether it’s online or land-based (offline) gambling, and the market varies greatly from one country to another. Up until 2015 gambling in Ireland was actually illegal, but since then it has been legalised and regulated. Nowadays, the Irish gambling market is one of the most lucrative markets in the gambling industry, with hundreds of premium betting sites in Ireland, who provide their services for punters all over the world, not only for the Irish.
An interesting fact is that the data shows that Ireland places third in the world per capita when it comes to the money that the population spend every year on gambling and betting. Irish punters spend less on gambling than only two other countries: Australia and Singapore.
Irish punters make up a large percentage of the population in Ireland, with millions of euros spent every year by Irish gamblers. The revenue from online gambling alone is estimated at €220 million per year, which comes as no surprise considering that many of the world’s most popular bookies are based in Ireland. Despite being a relatively small nation, the revenue from both online and offline gambling is estimated at approximately €6 billion in a year.
The Most Popular Forms of Gambling in Ireland
Irish punters have very different betting preferences to their UK market, and the market, in general, is very different. Online sports betting is the most popular form of gambling for Irish punters, specifically horseracing. Horseracing is the most popular form of online sports betting in Ireland, with roughly 70% of online sports bettors in Ireland betting on horseracing.
Hurling is another popular game that Irish punters like to gamble on, another national sport that’s very popular in Ireland. Hurling is one of the most ancient national games in Ireland, similar to the game of hockey but played with a shorter stick that has a different shape. Hurling is one of the most popular sports events in the year, nearly as popular as Gaelic football. After hurling, Irish punters also enjoy betting on football as well as horseracing and rugby, all of which are popular at offline and online bookmakers in Ireland.
Despite their proximity, Ireland and England have very different betting preferences and the markets in both countries operate quite differently. Unlike British punters whose main betting preferences is football betting, the Irish are much more interested in their national sport: Gaelic football. However, although Gaelic football is by far the most popular sport in Ireland, it’s not the same in the online sports betting world. As mentioned above, horseracing dominates when it comes to gambling and it’s the sport that brings in the most Irish punters to online bookmakers. Soccer is another popular sports to bet on online, with around 31% of the total bets placed being on soccer.
The Biggest Sports Events in Ireland
The most important sports event in Ireland is the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship which is the premier Gaelic football competition, played between the biggest county teams. Another major event is the All Ireland Hurling Final which is held annually at Croke Park, bringing in a massive crowd of spectators but also thousands of punters placing their several types of sports bets on this event. In 2021, some of the biggest sports events that punters in Ireland will be betting on include the All Ireland Hurling 2021, the All Ireland U20 Hurling, the Hurling Championship 2021, and the 2021 Football Championship.
Betinireland.ie – A Premium Irish Betting Site
Ireland is home to some of the biggest bookmakers in the world, with many of the biggest names such as Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, and Bet365 having a strong market in both the online and the offline world. As mentioned earlier on, online betting is completely legal in Ireland, as long as they are fully licensed and regulated. The majority of the most popular Irish bookies are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, making them safe and legitimate for Irish punters to place their bets at.
With over 300 sports betting sites accepting punters from Ireland, it can be difficult for gamblers to know which betting site is best for them. Not all betting sites offer the same quality and the best bonuses for Irish sports betting fans, so it’s important to do some research before you open an account with any betting site.
At betinireland.ie, sports betting fans can find the best sportsbook site for them by choosing any of the top recommended betting sites in Ireland which are reviewed by casino experts. These reviews take into account the quality of the bonuses for Irish players and the customer support, the security, as well as the odds they offer, meaning that only the top casinos who meet very strict criteria will be recommended on betinireland.ie. Sports bettors can also find in-depth reviews of practically any online sports betting site that they are interested in registering with, to know everything they need to know before placing their bets.
Ireland Has a Unique Gambling Market That is Set to Keep Growing
Ireland has a thriving gambling market that is one of the biggest in the world. Compared to the size of the population, the amount of money spent on gambling by Irish punters is quite high, showing that the gambling industry in Ireland is lucrative and thriving.
The betting preferences of Irish punters are unique and very different from their UK neighbours, and while many consider the UK to be the biggest gambling market, the data shows that UK punters spend around 25% less than Irish punters on gambling annually. With the lockdown in 2020, online gambling and betting also increased, so it’s safe to say that the gambling market in Ireland is only going to keep thriving.