Gambling Ireland

18, is the legal gambling age in Ireland. While there is at least 1 membership casino that requires a minimum age of 21, the national age is 18. Online wagering sites will usually accept Irish residents over the age of 18. Illegal Gambling Operations In Ireland. We are Ireland's only specialist service, dedicated to treating gambling addiction. Just remember, whatever course of action you take - You will not gamble your way out of a gambling problem. The Gambling Clinic is a trading arm of the Extern Problem Gambling Project (formerly Problem Gambling Ireland). Ireland’s gambling laws have specifically made it legal for citizens to engage in licensed and regulated offshore gambling as well as licensed domestic online gambling. Online casino gambling really emerged in 2001, but it wasn’t until 2003 that Ireland really embraced the concept more fully and began integrating locally licensed. Gambling has long been a favorite pastime of Irish citizens. It has been integrated deeply into the culture of the country and it is considered a pro-gambling region. Currently, the country's law supports the regulation of various forms of land-based casinos and online gambling within its island borders.

The Gambling Control Bill was approved by Government in July 2013. This Bill will, upon enactment, repeal all extant gaming and betting legislation, with the exception of that governing the National Lottery.

The General Scheme of the Bill is with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government (OPC) awaiting drafting.

Betting Act 1931

Ireland

The Betting (Amendment) Act 2015 was commenced on 15th April 2015. This legislation amends the Betting Act 1931 and provides for the licensing of remote (on-line) bookmakers and betting intermediaries for the first time.

Applications for certificates of personal fitness from remote operators, and terrestrial bookmakers not ordinarily resident in the State, are to be made to the Minister for Justice, following the placement of an advertisement in two daily, national newspapers. The advertisement and the application form are to be in a specified format. You can access these at the link below:

Terrestrial out of State Operators

Remote Operators

Applications for certificates of personal fitness from terrestrial bookmakers ordinarily resident in the State are to be made to a Superintendent of An Garda Síochána. The newspaper advertisement and application form for such operators can be accessed at the following link

Terrestrial Irish Operators

The application form in all instances details the information that is to be submitted in support of an application. It should be noted that an application will not be considered until such time as all such information has been received.

'relevant officer' of a corporate body is defined in section 1 of the 1931 Act as amended by section 2 of the 2015 Act. The first category of person who must apply for a certificate of personal fitness is he or she who exercises control (within the meaning of section 11 or 432 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997) in relation to the corporate body. In addition to such persons, corporate bodies may choose that an individual in either the second or third category of person as defined in section 1 applies for a certificate of personal fitness. The legislation does not require all three categories of person to be deemed a 'relevant officer'.

Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956

The Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956–2003 allow some limited forms of gambling. This is in order to provide a controlled outlet for people who wish to gamble. It also provides a method of fund-raising for charitable, philanthropic and other socially desirable purposes.

The forms of gambling permitted under the 1956 Act are:

  • Lotteries (excluding lotteries covered by the National Lottery Act 2013, which is under the auspices of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
  • A very limited form of gaming ('gaming' means playing a game (either of skill or chance) for money.)

For more information on gaming and lotteries, see the Review of the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956-86 A copy of the 1956 Act is included in the review document.

The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019, will come into effect on 1 December 2020. Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries are available here: Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries

Information notes for relevant licences and permits can be found here: Information Notes for Gaming and Lotteries

Gambling In Dublin Ireland

Previous examinations of Ireland’s gambling laws

Gambling Ireland

Casino Regulation Committee

The Casino Regulation Committee was set up in August 2006 and its report was published in July 2008 under the title Regulating Gaming In Ireland (PDF - 2.11MB)

Review of Gambling

Gambling Age In Ireland

A paper entitled Options for Regulating Gambling published in December, 2010, represented the culmination of a public consultation undertaken by the Department as part of an overall review of gambling in Ireland.

Charitable Lotteries Fund

The scheme has now ceased to operate.

Gambling Island In Hong Kong

How to Choose Best Irish Online Casino

Gambling Casinos In Dublin Ireland

Online casinos have largely overtaken their land-based cousins and its not even close. The selection of games and freebies has done its job well. Each online casino in Ireland offers one kind of bonus or the other you should definitely take advantage of. There’s only one problem – not all casinos are equal in terms of quality.

Thanks to our casino review site, however, you can find nothing but the crème de la crème web joints in the Emerald Isle. We also have a list of joints you should steer clear of. The online gaming market is crowded everywhere these days and it’s kind of hard to pick the right choice. Don’t you worry, though – our list is all clear and features each and every best online casino in Ireland.

When we review an Irish online casino, we take a look at it from various angles. We inspect if it has a license, its safety and security measures, and the number of bonuses and promos on offer. Of course, a full dissection of the game library is mandatory. The good news is that our list features only licensed casinos where you get to play the best games.

Want to spin Irish-themed slots? You’re in luck – our recommended casinos have the best Irish slot games of all time. With Lugh by your side, you’re free to spin them all for cash so you could win real money in return.

We have only the most popular online casinos in the land of Saints and Scholars. If you have a gambling itch that you must scratch, look no further than our recommendations.

Are Online Casinos Legal in Ireland?

Online gamers rejoice! Ireland was one of the earliest countries to legalize online gambling. It is also one of the most liberal. Ireland has a slew of licensed casinos unlike many other countries. For a web joint to operate in the Emerald Isle, it must obtain a gambling license issued by the government.

The Irish Betting Bill was published in 2012 and is based on the Betting Act of 1931. There is no tax or any kind of regulatory framework that prevents online casinos in 2020 from offering their services to players from Ireland. Such a framework is currently in early drafts, yet legislation has been postponed several times already.

As such, Irish players can bet and gamble online without fearing legal repercussions.

Gambling License. Do Online Casinos Need to Obtain?

Yes, each Irish casino must obtain a license from the government in order to operate in the Emerald Isle. As mentioned, this was sanctioned by the Irish Betting Amendment (or Bill) in 2012. Based on the Betting Act of 1931, the Bill was meant to fill the gap left by the ages-old Act.

Gambling Statistics In Ireland

Online casinos in Ireland are free to offer their services as long as they obtain a license. No tax law or any kind of regulatory framework applies to online gambling in the Emerald Isle. Many parties are pushing for such a law, yet legislation is yet to see the light of day.

Gambling Laws In Ireland

Our list of top online casinos in Ireland features only licensed web joints where you get to play the best games. Spin slots or hit the tables if you’re feeling lucky today – with Lugh by your side, you may find the pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow.