In this article you can find out:
- the history of gambling in Ireland;
- legal gambling in Ireland;
- what is fixed gambling in Ireland;
- what payment methods do Irish online casinos accept?
History of gambling in Ireland
There is a stereotype in the world that the Irish are always lucky. This concept is associated with the symbols and colors of the country, thanks to which it was forever rooted in the culture of the Irish. It was this aspect that led to the boom in the popularity of random games in Ireland. Even in the XVI century gambling took root in the hearts of Irish aristocrats, and over time random games became available to the mass audience. It's no secret that at first such entertainment was reserved exclusively for aristocrats who owned horses and participated in horse races. So, where does this “Irish happiness”come from? This phrase is associated with the American “$OTA fever”, when it was the miners of Irish origin who better managed to find their “pot of $OTA”.
We will present what gambling looked like in Ireland by ERA:
- Old times.
- Middle Ages.
- The British Empire and the Irish State.
Historians believe that gambling in Ireland appeared even before the arrival of the Romans and the introduction of Christianity. This is indicated by the fact that in ancient Irish tombs archaeologists have found artifacts such as game bones and glass beads. archaeologists have shown that so - called" bone games " - thought to be a very early form of gambling-were also part of the island's evolving culture during this period. Historical manuscripts also show that chariot racing took place on the Irish Curragh plain as early as the 3rd century AD.
We can't dismiss the fact that gambling in Ireland dates back to ancient times, but it wasn't really until the 16th century that the natural gambling we have today was introduced. This is indicated by two main factors. First of all, horse racing was established as a kind of sport to which a large part of the population of Ireland had a natural inclination. The second factor is that British rule has been established in Ireland.
At the beginning of the 17th century, England decided to establish permanent rule over Ireland - to create an English colony, and later the British Empire. However, in everyday life, Ireland was ruled by the owners of large estates, who always wanted first of all to earn money, and not to control the behavior of the Irish population. In addition, the attitude towards the townspeople who gambled was in most cases indifferent. During the entire time that Ireland was under British rule (more than three centuries), not a single attempt was made to ban or regulate gambling. After a bitter war of independence between the British and the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Irish Free State was established in 1922. and one of the first issues that the newly formed, independent government dealt with was regulating the growing popularity of betting. in addition to better accessibility to sports such as horse racing, other types of gambling have emerged to cater to a wider audience. While equestrian competitions may have originally been intended for the upper classes, games such as bingo appeared with ordinary people in mind. This game appeared in the country in the 60s. and according to some reports, it was bingo in the Catholic Church that made it a nationwide craze. Soon the number of registered players reached 14 million. around the 1970s, some of the houses in which they had previously shot films ceased their activities, thereby being converted into Bingo halls. Examples of such houses are the Cabra Grand and Whitehall Grand-now protected buildings. Bingo halls are still an important part of life in Ireland.
Irish online casinos: are they legal?
When the Irish Free State was created in 1926, The First Law was passed, which was called the Betting Act (amended in 1931). This was the first form of betting regulation in Ireland - under which anyone who takes bets on sporting events must have a government licence.
Another significant piece of legislation that allowed lotteries but still prohibited any other gambling activity in casinos was the gaming and Lotteries Act (1956). Not to be outdone, the smart, gambling-loving Irish took advantage of this law to their advantage. The law allowed the establishment of "private clubs", which in fact was the same as a casino.
The mid-1980s saw significant changes in Irish gambling. In 1986, the Irish parliament approved the new National Lottery Act, allowing lottery tickets to be sold to anyone over the age of 18. Two years later, Ireland's most famous bookmaker, Paddy Power, exploded on the scene and became one of the largest gambling operators in the world. This Act outlawed illegal sports bookmakers and stipulated that bookmakers must hold a legal betting license, which can only be granted by the government. Such licenses are still needed today.
The Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 allows for some limited forms of gambling in Ireland. This is to provide a controlled outlet for people who want to gamble. It is also a method of fundraising for charitable, philanthropic and other socially desirable purposes.
What forms of gambling allowed under the act of 1956:
- 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 gambling ("gambling" means playing a game (arcade or random) for Real Money).
Payments and online games for Poles in Ireland
Many South African players live in Ireland and want to know how you can make a deposit at Irish online casinos. We checked which methods work and which do not and what are the limits of processing funds.
| Method | Method information | Limits |
| PayPal | PayPal is by far the leader when it comes to online payments as it offers one of the fastest and safest online payment options available to Irish people. | EUR 400 |
| Revolut | Revolut was founded in 2015 and has grown impressively over the past few years. It is designed to allow players from South Africa and Ireland to transfer money around the world and Exchange it if the need arises. | EUR 3000 |
| ecoPayz | With over 40 currencies available in over 140 countries, we have recently seen an increase in the number of casino users making deposits with ecoPayz. | Different |
| Paysafecard | Paysafecard, a prepaid card also called Paysafe, is a popular payment method in Irish casinos. | EUR 10 000 |
| Trustly | This e-wallet was founded in 2008 in Sweden and has become a trusted method for online deposits and online casinos. | EUR 10 000 |
| Monzo | Monzo launched in 2016, but the method is already used by about 4.7 million users who have a mobile application. | EUR 5500 |
When it comes to online gambling in Ireland, the first place is Bingo, dice and sports betting, but no less popular in the casinos of Ireland are varieties of online roulette, poker and blackjack and Baccarat. Online scratch cards are less popular. Also, Irish people love to place bets in Irish live casinos where the dealer controls the whole game, and we have the opportunity to join and participate in the game and contact the dealer and players via live chat.
Fixed gambling in Ireland
Local land-based casinos are not the same as in other countries, because under the gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956,traditional casinos are technically illegal.
Anyway, in Ireland there are more than 20 smaller, private c$onk clubs where you can play various classic casino games such as poker or roulette.
Below we want to introduce our readers to information about the ToP 5 longest-running casinos in Ireland. However, one of them had to be closed recently.
- The Sporting Emporium, 5 anne's Lane, Dublin.
- The Fitzwilliam Casino and Card Club, Merrion Square, Dublin.
- Macau Sporting Club, 16 St Patrick's Centre, Cork.
- Caesar's Palace, 202 Upper Salthill Road, Galway.
- Westbury Club, Malahide Village.
This gaming salon was opened in 2005 and is still one of the leading casinos in the capital. games such as blackjack, roulette and poker are offered here. The casino has an attractive layout and is a popular place to watch great sporting events.
This casino operated in Ireland for about 16 years, but was closed in 2019. This casino is within close proximity of National Museum of Ireland and National Leprechaun Museum.
Macau Sporting Club has a giant poker room as well as a selection of slots and many other slot machine games. The casino's restaurant offers an excellent menu so players can take breaks between games.
It is one of the most famous places to get a taste of Las Vegas. The main attractions of this casino include a Bingo hall, which can accommodate about 200 players.
The casino has been operating for three decades and offers the best games from roulette and poker to slot machines and snooker.
Summary:the benefits of online casinos in Ireland
What is gambling in Ireland? This is something that is often thought about not only by players from Ireland, but also from South Africa. As we mentioned above, the history of Ireland has always been associated with luck, so it seems that gambling and random games will always be popular in Irish culture. However, this does not mean that online gambling will remain the same. With the evolution of legal horse racing, casinos and Bingo in Ireland, it would be reasonable to expect some changes to occur in each of these industries as technology advances. This must mean that soon Irish gambling will move to a new stage, and players from different parts of the world will enjoy the best games in Irish online casinos.
