Best Betting Sites in Ireland

Why we picked it

Betway has user experience down to a tee. It has designed a well-presented and responsive online sportsbook highly optimised for the Irish punter.

Betway ensures Gaelic sports and rugby union are just as easy to find as football and racing (quite right too), likewise, its most popular betting promotions, Free Bet Club, 4 To Win and Betway Boosts.

We have to highlight Betway’s in-play offering too. Again, the UX is superb and the new and improved Bet Builder makes placing a pre-match bet effortless.

The strongest feature of Betway, arguably, is its comprehensive eSports offering, which is hands down the best of any betting site we’ve reviewed in 2023.

High-value promotions

Betway rewards loyalty more than any betting site with its weekly Free Bet club. Customers who qualify can earn €10, sometimes €15 in free bets each week

There are plenty of money-back offers, particularly for horse racing, and odds boosts are a big deal too. No matter the sport or event, enhanced prices can be found on a daily basis.

Huge cash prizes are also up for grabs at Betway through free-to-play prediction games 4 to win and 4 to score

Top-notch in-play betting

The most pleasing aspect of live betting on Betway is the easy navigation and landing on the event you’re looking for.

In addition to providing market variety - which we also give Betway great credit for - speed and clarity is the aim of the in-play game.

Betway delivers with its user-friendly suite that has live streaming for football, tennis, basketball, hockey and darts - to name a few - superb in-play graphics for the events without and a beginner-friendly Bet Builder.

Esports coverage

Esports may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you are looking to bet on CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch or Call of Duty, Betway is without a doubt the place to be.

eSport enthusiasts have a dedicated section to bet on the most popular eSports competitions and events. Betway’s free bet club even extends into eSports - customers that bet €25 on eSports over a week can claim a €10 free bet.

It’s safe to say, Betway has cornered this growing - and very lucrative - better than any betting company.

Why we picked it

As we’ve mentioned in our review of BetVictor, this is a classy, almost faultless bookie. It is a terrific pick for football and racing punters with excellent offerings for both sports.

Of note are the top-notch betting features on offer. From its easy-to-use bet builder for footie and handy BetFinder tool for racing, BetVictor considers its customers' needs every step of the way.

Its clean website design is also a crowd-pleaser (especially if you’re a fan of the minimalistic look).

Uncluttered, user-friendly betting site

A concoction of odds, betting offers and images can often make for an overwhelming feeling when you first log in to a bookie and navigate your way around.

But that’s not the case at BetVictor. Users have a streamlined and concise website that enables bets, tools, and customer support to be found effortlessly. More bookies like this, please!

Top betting features

Without wanting to sound too much like BetVictor ambassador, ‘arry Redknapp, there are many features and tools that will enhance your betting experience.

Take the BetVictor BetFinder that lets you personalise your search for horse bets using filters and extensive data. The tool that helps simplify horse racing was introduced by BetVictor and has since been adopted by other bookies.

The Bet Builder is also impressive. Not only is it presented expertly, you have pre-built bet builder wagers which are great for when you don’t have the time/can’t make up your mind. Or both.

Racing & football specialists

The fact that BetVictor started out as a bookie within horse and greyhound racing and, over the past two decades, has established itself as one of the top football bookies makes it a go-to sportsbook for many in Ireland.

We know the majority of Irish bettors wager on these two sports more than anything else - what better than a bookie that knows both inside out?

Why we picked it

We give Ireland’s largest independent bookmaker great credit for its all-round extensive offering. Regardless of the sport or event, BoyleSports meets the needs of a large percentage of Irish punters, especially those wagering on racing (horses & greyhounds) and football.

You will note the impressive number of Price Boosts available across big events - if you want to find a better price, you will most likely find it at BoyleSports.

There’s also an excellent live streaming service (including every UK & Irish race), a terrific bet €10 get €40 sign-up offer, a tremendous range of promotions (especially if accas are your thing) and the chance to win €10,000 every weekend when you play the free-to-play football game, BoyleSports Fantasy Five.

Excellent for racing

When it comes to the best bookies for horse racing, we reckon BoyleSports is ahead of the field. Horse racing is the most accessible sport from the menu and the main focus (along with football) across the whole site.

Racing enthusiasts have all they need to make informed bets including detailed race cards. On them, the name of the jockey, trainer, age and weight of the horse is stated, as well as the Racing Post Rating (RPR), a short summary of the horse’s form and the Racing Post verdict.

Customers can live stream every UK & Irish race and many international meets too and tot up their bets using the Bet Calculator. As well as this, BoyleSports has BOG from 8am every day and 2nd to the SP Fav money-back offers on multiple races.

Boosted odds & daily specials galore

If you’re bouncing from bookie to bookie in search of a better price, there’s a high chance BoyleSports has odds that will catch your eye.

The sheer volume of enhanced prices and daily specials available vastly outweighs that of other online bookmakers. Even better, no sport or market is excluded from a good ol’ BoyleSports boost.

Acca incentives

Nothing beats a Saturday afternoon acca in hand following Jeff and the boys. It’s almost become a tradition.

For all you acca-loving punters, BoyleSports is the place to be. Not only do you get a free €5 acca for every 5 accas you place, but Acca Rewards also gives you the opportunity to boost winnings up to 100% or insure your bet if one leg lets you down. And that’s for all sports, not just football.

Why we picked it

Just like Man City (on their day), Roger Federer (back in the day) and the Irish rugby team 😍 (all the time these days), Bet365 is at the top of its game. Every part of its product is best-in-class.

You can stream over 200,000 live events (the most of any betting company) across a host of sports, choose from an incredible range of markets for football, racing, golf and GAA sports and benefit from a variety of betting offers including a generous and flexible new customer welcome bonus.

A bookie with worldwide appeal - especially for punters betting on football - Bet365 is recognised as the best in the industry and it’s clear why.

Quick, intuitive interface

Betting at Bet365 is as smooth as it gets. From sign-up or log-in to finding events and markets and finally placing your bet, you’re guaranteed a hassle-free betting experience from start to finish.

One thing you’ll notice right away is how responsive the site and app are. Pages load instantly and bets are processed just as quickly.

Bet365 does away with in-your-face promotions in exchange for giving users exactly what they want: quick access to markets and odds for the most popular events taking place on any given day.

Kings of live streaming

Bet365 is hands down the best betting for live streaming. Go on the sportsbook at any time of the day (or night) and there will be a match or an event you can watch and wager on.

Whether it’s soccer or snooker, basketball or bowls, greyhounds or golf, Bet365 has the widest selection of events to stream of any bookie.

Varied range of betting promos

In addition to the many betting offers available for football and racing, Bet365 does a great job of ensuring that promotions are varied and applicable to a range of sports.

One such example is its Early Payout offer which is popular for football but also available for the NFL, NBA, NHL, as well as rugby.

Why we picked it

Betting companies harp on about experience but few can actually back it up. Ladbrokes is the exception of course. Born in 1886, Ladbrokes is a bookie who has been there and done it, got the t-shirt and is still going strong today.

A stellar reputation counts for a lot, but so does a top-notch product geared towards the sports Irish bettors value most (football and racing).

A flexible and beginner-friendly sign-up offer that allows new customers to register for just €5, and the range of promotions - including Ladbrokes’ acca deal and free-to-play games like 1-2-Free - are big reasons why Ladbrokes remains a firm favourite for bettors in Ireland.

Low deposit sign-up offer

It’s rare we big up welcome offers too much. However, the Ladbrokes sign-up offer is different from many of the deals you will see - for starters, instead of the market standard €10 minimum deposit, you only need to wager €5 to qualify.

The small outlay is appealing to both beginners and bettors who prefer to wager lower amounts. What’s more, we like how the free bets are split into four separate €5 bets, giving you the freedom to enjoy your freebies over a longer period.

Promos and free-to-play games

Ladbrokes is Best Odds Guaranteed on all UK & Irish horse racing from 8am on race day, the earliest time you can lock in those early prices anywhere (along with BoyleSports).

Ladbrokes also has top football promotions including its acca insurance deal and 2UP Early Payout offer.

You will also find more free-to-play games than at other betting sites. Ladbrokes has numerous games that allow you to claim cash prizes and free bets without putting your hand in your pocket. The most popular are 1-2-Free and 5-A-Side.

Keep an eye out for free casino-based games too that could see you win free spins.

Many live streaming options

Every UK and Irish horse race can be viewed live and selected meetings from France, South Africa, India and further afield.

When it comes to football you have the FA Cup, La Liga and Serie A among the top competitions and leagues you can watch and wager on.

And Ladbrokes’ live streaming schedule doesn’t stop there - events in tennis, cricket, darts and snooker are also available.

Who’s Ladbrokes best for?

First-time bettors will appreciate the affordable sign-up offer. But one of the most respected names in the game is bound to appeal to a large percentage of casual and experienced Irish punters too.

Why we picked it

It feels like Coral often struggles to step out from the shadow of fellow Entain-owned brand, Ladbrokes. However, Coral has plenty of perks for it to be considered one of Ireland’s best bookies in its own right.

Bettors who visit Coral can be nothing but impressed with the most in-depth bet builder in the business, its popular free-to-play predictor games and the quality of its live streaming service.

As is the case with its older sibling, Ladbrokes, Coral is a betting site you can join for €5 and unlock a €20 free bet. And great value exists in regards to betting promotions too - €5 gets you €10 worth of free bets when you buy one of Coral’s Bet Bundles.

Fantastic football bet builder

A quality bet builder is a key differentiator for punters seeking out the top football betting sites for 2023. And it is clear why Coral has become the go-to for football betting aficionados.

Coral’s bet builder is perfect if you’re one for digging into player stats. You can add offsides, passes, tackles and crosses for each player when creating your personalised bet.

Top free-to-play predictor games

Coral’s Football Super Series and Racing Super Series are two of the most popular free-to-play games in the industry. The main reason is the simplicity of each.

The rules are clear and prizes are achievable (which isn’t always true of all free-to-play games we have reviewed).

€50 cash and free bets are up for grabs for predicting four match stats in the week's featured game, while you can win a share of €25,000 by picking a horse to place in each of the races selected by Coral.

Terrific benefits for racing punters

Coral’s early history is rooted in racing. As such, it is widely recognised as a top horse racing bookmaker.

But given the market competition, betting companies need to offer more than the standard live streaming, BOG and money-back promotions.

Coral does this superbly with its Horse Racing Club. Customers can opt in completely free, get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to trainers and horses, and win hospitality tickets to some of the biggest racing events.

Just like making a cup of tea, there's an art to reviewing a betting site

Our process involves registering with each bookmaker we partner with, depositing money, placing bets, withdrawing money, contacting customer support, basically, any aspect you can think of when using a betting site.

We then give each bookie a score for the following criteria:

• Welcome offer
• Existing customer betting promotions
• Betting variety (sports, markets)
• Betting site features
• Mobile betting app
• Odds
• Payment methods
• Customer support
• Responsible gambling tools

💰Sign-Up Offer and Betting Promotions

An enticing sign-up offer and regular promotions once signed up can go a long way to choosing which bookie to choose.

We ensure the welcome offer is easy to claim and provides overall value, while we also consider how many promotions (money back specials, free bets, acca boosts, enhanced odds) there are for existing customers too.

Whether there are free-to-play games also comes into our thinking.

⚽ Variety of Sports and Betting Markets

Top bookies provide a strong selection of markets (pre-match and in-play) for a wide range of sports, not just the most popular ones.

Sure, you love a flutter on football, racing, and GAA sports. But what do you do during the off-season?

You can fill your time with DIY or some life admin. But finding something else to bet on is more fun we reckon.

Golf, tennis, cricket and US sports provide many wagering opportunities all year round. The more sports you can bet on and the more markets available for each sport, the better.

💡Betting Features

Every bookie offers cash-out and bet builder tools, while, with some sites, you can live stream events too. But to what level are these features offered?

Bet365, for example, has partial cash out and auto cash out, giving you even more control over your bet. At Coral, you can add things like tackles, passes and crosses to your football bet builder.

Live streaming is probably the sought-after feature. However, nearly every bookie in Ireland provides live streams for horse racing (which is great) but what other sports can you watch?

Football matches from top leagues around the world and high-profile tennis tournaments are part of the busy live streaming schedule at Bet365 and Novibet.

📱Mobile betting app

Chances are, you will use your mobile browser to access your preferred bookie, or, download the mobile app. Most bookmakers have the same features on their app as they have on their websites (including live streaming).

Before that though, we recommend online bookmakers with betting apps that are highly responsive and have good, clear navigation.

Slow-to-load and poorly laid-out apps prone to freezing are frustrating and not worth your time.

📈 Odds

In all of this, it’s worth remembering that you want a bookmaker with competitive odds. As with anything, the price often determines the direction you go and online betting is no different.

As there are brands owned by the same betting company, you may find some bookies offer very similar odds.

It’s always worth your time - and your money of course - to go between a few betting sites and compare the price before adding a selection to your bet slip.

💳 Payment Options

How you can deposit and withdraw money - and the speed at which you can do both - is key when choosing an online bookie.

The top operators accept a wide range of payment options to satisfy as many customers as possible.

This said, don’t take it for granted your preferred method is available, always check before you sign up.

📞 Support

Should you have an issue that needs resolving, it’s comforting to know you have a good level of support to rely on.

Live chat is a quick and easy way to get help and is available 24/7 at many of the top bookmakers. Phone and email are also alternative ways of getting in touch.

In our reviews, we share our personal experience (good or otherwise) of the support we received to give you a flavour of what to expect.

New bookies are just as important as the tried and tested ones

Remember that ridiculous Super League idea (which was quashed just as quickly as it was introduced)? Say it was applied to online betting - all you had was a closed shop of 12 betting sites.

On one hand, it’d be grand as you’d have an elite set of sites to choose from. But as good as it sounds, the quality of each bookmaker would eventually drop because of the lack of competition.

Essentially, established betting sites are made better by new online bookmakers, many of which bring new ideas and features to the market.

Here are the newest betting sites in Ireland right now.

• Bzeebet - Established in 2023
• Luckland - Established in 2022
• Rhino Bet - Established in 2021
• BetTarget - Established in 2021
• Mr Mega - Established in 2021
• LiveScore Bet - Established in 2020

At mybettingsites.com/ie, we aim to educate visitors about every aspect of the Irish online gambling industry. And there's not a part more important than the laws and regulations!

While we appreciate it’s not the most exciting aspect, it’s vital bettors fully understand how the industry works and how change is afoot in 2023.

Online Gambling in Ireland (as it stands)

• All forms of online gambling are legal in Ireland under the Betting (Amendment) Act 2015. This includes online sports betting, online casino and online poker. Bingo and daily fantasy sports are also permitted.

• To operate in Ireland, gambling companies must hold an Irish gambling license issued by Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners (the official Irish Government Agency responsible for regulating, taxation and licensing gambling operators in Ireland).

• You need to be at least 18 years of age to gamble online in Ireland.

Tips for staying safe when gambling online in Ireland

Only use licensed Irish online bookmakers. You can check if an online betting site is licensed in Ireland - and safe for Irish players - by scrolling down to the bottom and viewing the license number issued by the Revenue Commissioners. Every Irish online betting site we list and recommend holds a license to operate in Ireland.

Utilise Responsible Gambling tools. Every bookie is committed to making sure everyone gambles responsibly. If you feel like you’re no longer in control of your gambling, betting sites have several tools that can help. This includes Deposit Limits, Time Outs, Reality Checks and Self Exclusion.