Best Betting Sites in Ireland (2021)

Are you looking for the best online betting sites that are legal for Irish residents? You have come to the right place. BettingGuide has partnered with the best legal, safe, and licensed betting sites that accept players from Ireland.

Sports betting is extremely popular in Ireland, with the country's obsession with horse racing one of the major factors why this is the case.

Football, rugby and golf are some of the other top spots to bet on in Ireland, along with local favourites such as hurling and Gaelic football.

With betting shops in Ireland have had to close their doors as a result of the coronavirus crisis, more people than ever before have turned to the internet to have a bet.

Some €9.8 billion was gambled in Ireland in 2019, with much of this coming from sports betting.

Various sports betting sites are available to pick from and each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses. We are here to help players to select one to use that is the right fit for them.

Here is our complete guide to betting sites in Ireland - read on for everything you need to know.

#1 Best Irish Betting Site - Paddy Power

Paddy Power is an Irish success story and the company has grown into one of the largest betting brands in the world, especially since it had a merger with Betfair a few years ago.

It is easily clear to see why Paddy Power has become so popular, with a raft of market-leading promotions on the site coupled with excellent sports betting odds and deep markets.

Paddy Power is the home of the money-back special, which is one of the best betting promotions around. Users can get their stake returned if certain conditions are met here.

Paddy Power also offers a 2 Up promotion for football, which pays out bets on clubs that take a two-goal lead in a match, even if the team does not go on to win the game.

Power Prices - daily enhanced odds - are offered on a range of sports too. They tend to focus on major events such as Champions League games in football, or the Masters in golf.

As well as acca insurance, Paddy Power customers can get a €10 free bet each week through the Paddy's Rewards Club scheme. Horse racing fans can also benefit from the best odds guaranteed, which covers all UK and Irish racing at Paddy Power.

The Paddy Power website itself is quite basic, but it gets the job done well enough, while there is also a solid app that can be downloaded on to iOS and Android mobile devices.

Unlike most of the top 10 betting sites in Ireland, Paddy Power also offers fantasy sports. Huge in the US, fantasy sports betting has a low profile here now but is expected to grow fast.

Signing up to the Paddy Power sportsbook also gives players access to a range of casino games, as well as bingo and poker, which are all available through the same account.

#2 Best Betting Site in Ireland - bet365

Among the largest bookmakers in the world, Bet365 is a common choice for Irish sports fans who want to get access to some of the best odds around.

Bet365 customers can expect a huge sportsbook with dozens of sports to pick from, with most of them having hundreds of available bets.

GAA betting is available, which will be a tick in the box for a lot of people in Ireland, while Bet365 is also known for having some of the most generous bonuses in the business.

Along with a market-leading offer for new customers, Bet365 users can get the same two goals ahead early payout that Paddy Power offers, plus boosted payouts of up to 70% on tennis and football accumulator bets. Early payout deals are offered for both the NBA and the MLB too.

Best price guaranteed is offered for some racing at Bet365, while those who back a winner in a televised race at a price of 4/1 or higher will also get a risk-free bet to use on the sport of kings.

One of the top reasons to join Bet365 is the bookmaker's massive range of live streaming. Few bookmakers can match what Bet365 has to offer in this department, with various sports available to stream live by those who sign up for an account. When betting in-play, it is not uncommon for more than 100 different bets to be available for Bet365 customers to choose from.

The flip side is that Bet365 site and app can feel a bit old and clunky compared to modern alternatives. Those with betting experience will not find it hard to navigate them, however.

Like a lot of the other top betting sites in Ireland, Bet365 also runs an online casino that has poker, bingo, slots and a range of live casino games available to try out.

#3 Best Betting Site in Ireland - BoyleSports

Among the biggest bookmakers in Ireland, BoyleSports is making a splash online too.

At BoyleSports, customers get an acca loyalty offer as well as acca insurance, which protects them in the event of one leg in the wager losing. The welcome bonus is a fairly standard offer.

Other promotions include extra place races in horse racing, where BoyleSports also offers a money-back as a free bet if a selection finishes second to the starting price favourite. BoyleSports occasionally runs mobile-specific offers, which make it stand out from the crowd.

It is fair to say the BoyleSports website could do with being updated as it looks old-fashioned compared to some of the other top betting sites in Ireland.

But it works fine and users will find more than enough choice of things to bet on at BoyleSports, especially when the attached online casino is also taken into account.

Irish sports fans will be happy to see GAA markets on the BoyleSports site, which also has various specials on politics, TV and film, as well as running a range of esports markets too.

BoyleSports also has an online casino, while the bookmaker offers lotto betting and has a mobile app that can be downloaded on to Android and iOS devices as well.

Odds are one of the most important things to consider when choosing a new bookmaker to join. In this area, BoyleSports tends to perform strongly but its odds are not the very best around.

Some live streaming is available to BoyleSports customers, but the offering on a rival site like Bet365 is much stronger, which potential customers may wish to take into account.

As with other leading bookies, BoyleSports has a UK Gambling Commission license which means it can be considered a very safe and secure operator with which to bet online.

#4 Best Betting Site in Ireland - Betfair

Known as a massive betting exchange first and foremost, the Betfair sportsbook means an account is a popular choice even for those with no interest in laying bets.

While the Betfair exchange naturally has better prices, the Betfair sportsbook commonly has odds that are some of the best around for most of its top sports, which include football and horse racing.

In addition, various Betfair bonuses make an account here even more of a must for sports fans in Ireland. Users can boost the odds of a handful of horse racing selections each day, while Betfair enhanced odds are offered on a daily basis as well.

Among the more interesting promotions at Betfair is its Edge offer, which allows customers to accept lower odds in exchange for extra places on horse racing selections. Edge can also be used on accumulator bets in the same way as acca insurance with other top bookmakers.

Betfair has a rewards scheme where users can earn points for each bet that they place. Unusually among the best betting sites in Ireland, Betfair also has a refer and earn scheme that means users who persuade friends or family to sign up can get a free bet as a reward.

The Betfair sportsbook itself is a joy to use on various devices - Betfair's iOS and Android app are among the best in the business - and access to both the exchange and online casino is simple.

Cash-out is a feature widely available these days, but Betfair provides partial cash out too. This means users can opt to receive a guaranteed payout while still letting a portion of the bet ride.

Betfair's live streaming provision is absolutely excellent. Various sports are available to stream through a Betfair account, including horse racing, with a range comparable to Bet365's.

#5 Best Betting Site in Ireland - Unibet

Unibet is another of the top 10 betting sites in Ireland that offers customers the chance to boost the odds of various bets each day.

The bookmaker's bonus is called Uniboost and allows Irish sports fans to increase the prices on up to three racing or greyhounds bets every day. With best odds guaranteed also available at Unibet, this helps to ensure this bookmaker's odds are usually very good compared to rivals.

Extra place races are often available too, while those who join Unibet can also benefit from a range of enhanced prices on a regular basis. While Unibet's bonuses are good, the offers are not quite as extensive as those provided by other operators in Ireland right now.

Where Unibet does excel is in-play betting, where there tends to be a greater range of markets to pick from during live-action than most rival betting sites have available.

Unibet has also embraced esports betting in a big way. While some sites only have a basic offering, those who want to bet on esports including CS:GO, League of Legends and Dota 2 are sure to find that Unibet has everything that they need.

Football and horse racing are naturally two of the top sports to bet on at Unibet, but this bookmaker has a surprisingly detailed range of ice hockey markets to pick from as well.

Streaming is also very good at Unibet. The site's Unibet TV service has all kinds of sports, including live football from Australia and Korea, available to watch, as well as top esports.

Unibet customers can also bet on the site's online casino, which has separate sections for bingo and poker, while mobile players will find the Unibet app is a very solid piece of software as well.

#6 Best Betting Site in Ireland - Quinnbet

Based in Ireland, QuinnBet is a great choice for those sports fans in the country who would like to support a local bookmaker that only launched relatively recently.

Seán Quinn's online betting operation offers guaranteed best odds prices on all UK and Irish greyhound races - as well as UK and Irish horse racing meetings - while new users can take advantage of the fantastic bet €10 get €40 in free bets when they sign up for an account.

As quite a new betting site, it is fair to say the QuinnBet does not have absolutely everything that larger rivals can offer, with live streaming one of the areas where this bookmaker is lacking.

However, being a smaller online betting site does mean that QuinnBet is able to provide a more personal service, which is reflected in the bookmaker's outstanding customer service.

On the QuinnBet sportsbook, users will find a variety of boosted prices, though some of the promotions are not as generous as they might seem at first glance.

As an example, QuinnBet offered up to seven places on the Master's golf tournament in 2021, while a lot of the other top 10 betting sites in Ireland went up to 10 places on the same event.

In-play markets are not as extensive as elsewhere either, but QuinnBet can point to odds that typically compare quite favourably against strong competition in the industry.

QuinnCasino offers customers access to a top range of games, with everything from casino classics like roulette, blackjack and more to modern alternatives. Virtuals betting also has a separate department on the site, for those interested in these kinds of wagers.

Lastly, QuinnBet also has pools betting section that typically has very big prizes up for grabs.

#7 Best Betting Site in Ireland - 888Sport

Having launched as one of the world's first online casinos, 888 is now a betting behemoth that has partnered with a growing range of football clubs including Norwich City and Cardiff City.

The 888Sport betting site is just part of what people who sign up for an account get, with one of the planet's biggest online poker rooms also available to users at 888poker.

On the sportsbook side - decked out in a striking black and orange colour scheme - 888Sport has coverage of Irish sports such as the All Ireland hurling and Gaelic football championships.

Many of the top betting sites in Ireland now have a bet builder feature, with 888Sport among them. This means those who like to create their own wagers will find 888Sport to be a good choice of an online bookmaker.

Specials like price boosts and enhanced odds are available regularly at 888Sport. Unlike many other leading bookies, these deals are not just available for major sports like football. Offers at 888Sport often cover areas such as the MLB, as well as darts and snooker.

Among the different features at 888Sport is its recommended section. Those who use the site a lot will find this handy, with 888Sport flagging up a range of wagers that could be of interest.

Also helping to make 888Sport stand out from the crowd is the bookmaker's free-to-play weekly football game, Up for 8, which has thousands of euros available in prizes.

With 24/7 customer support service, 888Sport users can always get help if they need to get a question answered or a query resolved. Apple Pay is also on a long list of payment options here.

With a complete package that includes strong live streaming, 888Sport is for sure one of the top 10 betting sites in Ireland right now.

#8 Best Betting Site in Ireland - Mr Green Sports

Like 888Sport, Mr Green might be known to many as more of an online casino site.

But the company is trying to change those perceptions with a sportsbook that is very impressive indeed, especially as online security and fairness have been made priorities.

Those who sign up at Mr Green Sports can also use the site's Green Gaming Tool, which enables them to set both deposit limits and loss limits to retain control over their spending.

Mr Green Sports has some live streaming for sports such as dogs racing, but the list of options available to view cannot match up to big industry rivals like Bet365 and Betfair in this area.

Downloading the Mr Green app - which is offered for Android or iOS - makes it simple to bet while on the move, while the mobile site is a good alternative option for Irish sports fans too.

Live betting is a strength of Mr Green Sports. Not only can in-play markets for football matches around the world be found on the site, but the chance to bet on global handball is available too. In addition, live esports betting is offered in-play at Mr Green Sports as well.

Odds, however, could certainly be better at Mr Green Sports. They are not the worst around, but neither does Mr Green Sports tend to rank near the top of the pile for the best value prices.

Promotions at Mr Green do tend to focus on the site's casino offering. However, sports fans in Ireland should keep their eye out for special deals as new bonuses are regularly available.

Unlike many of the other top betting sites in Ireland, Mr Green also charges a withdrawal fee. While this is small, it is worth taking into account when considering signing up to this bookie.

#9 Best Betting Site in Ireland - Betway

With esports betting predicted to become one of the largest sections of the industry, Betway has made a big play to become known as the top option in Ireland for these markets.

Not only does Betway have many more esports markets than most other top betting sites in Ireland, but it also has a special welcome bonus for esports fans to use when signing up.

The esports betting bonuses do not stop there at Betway - which has boosted its public profile by sponsoring Premier League football team West Ham United - either.

Irish esports fans who join Betway can get a free bet each week through the rewards scheme, while the early payout offer it runs for various markets applies for some esports events too.

Away from esports, Betway has a comprehensive sportsbook with a list of promotions to match. Free bets are offered every week, while customers can also play the 4 to Win and 4 to Score prediction games for horse racing and football respectively, with cash prizes offered.

Daily Betway boosts are enhanced odds across various sports, while the odds on the sportsbook tend to be solid before these boosts are taken into account as well.

A bet builder gives customers flexibility over their selections, though the depth of the markets, even for the biggest football matches, is not as strong as with some of Betway's rivals.

A good selection of live streaming adds to the Betway offering, with football among the sports that can be watched by anyone who has a funded account on this betting site in Ireland.

Betway's mobile app is brilliant too, with those who want to bet on the move using iOS or Android devices able to get it through the App Store or the Play Store respectively.

#10 Best Betting Site in Ireland - MansionBet

Many of the top 10 betting sites in Ireland these days started life as an online casino first and foremost, with MansionBet - official betting partners of Newcastle United - sat in this category.

Among the interesting features at MansionBet is its PulseBet offer. Ideal for livening up a football match, players can bet on a goal being scored in the next 10 minutes or even 30 seconds.

Promotions at MansionBet tend to be solid rather than spectacular overall, though. As an example, the MansionBet extra place offer on golf's The Masters went to eight places. A lot of the other top betting sites in Ireland had as many as 10 places up for grabs instead.

However, MansionBet customers can benefit from faller insurance on their horse racing selections, while the bookie will also refund the bets of punters whose horse loses by a head. Best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing is also offered by MansionBet.

Most football matches have more than 100 different bets to pick from at MansionBet, but some of the more niche markets that are available elsewhere are missing here. The list of sports on the MansionBet sportsbook is fairly comprehensive, meeting the needs of most customers.

It is worth noting that MansionBet has a maximum daily payout. This is set at a much lower rate than most bookmakers in Ireland, which may put some people off from joining MansionBet. Something else missing at MansionBet is 24/7 customer service, which many rivals can offer.

As the online casino operator of the year for 2018 at the International Gaming Awards, access to the MansionBet casino site is likely to be a big tick in the box for some sports fans, however.

MansionBet's blog is worth a read, with tips and insights from jockey Hayley Turner.

How We Choose the Best Bookies in Ireland

In order to help sports fans to pick the best betting sites, we spend a lot of time assessing a range of departments within them. Here are some of the top areas that we look at the most:

• Licences 
• Safety and security 
• Reputation 
• Banking methods 
• Free bets and bonuses 
• Customer support 
• Mobile apps 
• Sports to bet on  
• Betting markets 
• High betting odds 
• Unique features

We list and compare the betting sites which offer the most sports, betting markets and highest sports betting odds. You can also compare the best betting sites for popular sports below, including the best bookie for popular sports such as football, and horse racing.

Legal, Licensed & Safe

All of the betting sites on BettingGuide are legal, licensed and safe to gamble on from Ireland. We only list bookmakers with an Irish gambling licence or remote betting sites that hold reputable gambling licenses from respected authorities such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), each bookie needs to comply with strict safety regulations or risk losing their licenses.

The reputation of a sports betting site can make it or break it. How they treat customers has a big impact on their industry reputation, which can always improve or get worse over the years. 

Sign Up Offers

Free bets and bonuses are what catches the eye of a lot of people in Ireland. Those who want to snag a bargain will want to make sure they sign up to a site that offers excellent promotions.

All of the best betting sites offer high-value new customer sign up offers to attract new players. It is important to take full advantage of these signup offers, as you can only claim them once (on each bookie), and they almost always offer more value than any other promotion available.

Some punters even sign up to almost every legal bookie available to take advantage of these fantastic free bet offers. But, not all signup bonuses offer good value, and it is important to learn how to spot the best and avoid the worst.

Firstly, look at the wagering requirements on the bonus, to see how much you need to wager the amount to unlock the funds for withdrawal. The best bonuses come with no wagering requirements, but some, require you to wager the bonus 10x the amount, or even more on casino bonuses.

Secondly, check to see what restrictions there are on the bonus, whether you need to deposit using a certain payment method, or if the bonus can only be used on a certain sport, market, etc.

Lastly, it is important to check if you need to enter a bonus code, and what the minimum deposit and bet amount are to qualify for the offer. Not all bonuses have these conditions, but it is crucial to check so you do not miss out on claiming the offer.

Wide Range of Payment Methods

Sports betting fans increasingly demand a variety of banking methods be available to use. There is little point in a sports betting site excelling in areas if their banking options are limited. 

After making sure the betting site is legal, licensed, and safe, we check to see which payment methods are accepted to be sure residents from Ireland can safely deposit and withdraw money.

All of the betting sites in our list accept a wide range of local and international payment methods ranging from debit/credit cards to e-wallets such as PayPal, Neteller and Skrill.

Sports & Betting Markets Available

Most sports betting sites have similar markets. But those who have different sports to bet on are likely to be reviewed favourably compared to those who focus on a limited number of sports.

Tied into the above is the depth of betting markets that are available. For the biggest sporting events, it is now not uncommon for there to be hundreds of different bets to pick from.

Quickly compare the top 10 sports betting sites in our list above, with the number of sports available, the average number of betting markets, and whether the bookie offers free live streaming and a cash-out feature.

bet365 is our number one pick for sports betting, with 30+ sports, free live streams, full and partial cashouts, high betting odds, and hundreds of betting markets.

High Betting Odds

Those who are experienced with sports betting know the importance of high betting odds. Small differences in prices can rack up in the long run. Which betting sites have the best odds?

Well, you can compare the betting margins for each bookie below, for both live and pre-match markets on cricket, football and horse racing bets.

If you did not know, the betting margin is essentially how much a bookie "charges" you to place a bet. Simply put, the lower the betting margin, the higher the odds.

Betting Sites with the Highest Betting Odds in Ireland

Below are the results of our latest independent betting margins tests. We analyse and test a range of betting odds across different markets, leagues and sports, to give an overall idea of the margins that betting sites charge.

As you can see below, the margins of the sports vary quite a lot from the best (MansionBet) to the worst (Casumo).

1. Mansionbet betting margin - 3.57%
2. Mr Play betting margin - 4.24%
3. Unibet betting margin - 4.85%
4. Quinnbet betting margin - 4.88%
5. bet365 betting margin - 4.94%
6. 888Sport betting margin - 5.13%
7. Betfair betting margin - 5.69%
8. Paddy Power betting margin - 6.49%
9. BoyleSports betting margin - 6.49%
10. Casumo betting margin - 7.01%

Mobile Betting

It is increasingly the case that people prefer to place their sports bets on a mobile device. Sports betting sites, therefore, need to work hard on their mobile sites and mobile apps to stand out.

We test the mobile betting apps, and mobile optimised betting websites to see which bookies offer the best mobile betting experience.

Compare which betting sites offer betting apps on Android and iOS below, and the results of our tests on our best betting apps in Ireland page.

Customer Support

Anyone who has ever had an issue with their account on a sports betting site knows the importance of customer support. We check to see what options are available to users.

We believe the best betting sites should offer 24/7 customer support with several methods of contact including a live chat, email, and free phone number.

This is certainly not the case across all betting sites, but the top five in our list all offer top-tier, 24/7 customer support with several contact methods.

Lastly, we look at what unique features a sports betting site in Ireland has to offer. Is there live streaming of sports to watch after having a wager on the action? What about deals like free bet clubs and acca insurance for existing users? And can users cash out on their bets?

With so much interest in sports betting in Ireland, it is not a surprise to see that new betting sites are being launched in the country on a regular basis to try to take advantage of this passion.

It can be hard for sports fans to keep up with the latest developments when it comes to all the new betting sites in Ireland, but luckily we keep our ear close to the ground in this area.

Here are five of our favourite new bookmakers and sportsbooks that are now offered in Ireland.

• Mr Play 
• Quinnbet 
• Betiton 
• MansionBet 
• SportNation

Let's kick things off with Mr Play, which is a casino and sportsbook aimed at Irish gamblers. On the Mr Play sportsbook, customers can expect to find football and horse racing among the top priorities, while there are also plenty of markets for the likes of Formula One as well.

Guaranteed best odds prices are offered on all UK and Irish horse racing by Quinnbet, making this a natural choice for fans of the sport of kings. Quinnbet even offers virtual sports to bet on, for when there is no live-action available for a wager.

Betiton is one of the newest betting sites available in Ireland, but it is already making a splash in a very competitive industry. The new bookmaker's sportsbook has great markets for football and racing, as well as other sports such as tennis. Regular promotions are offered here as well.

Another top new online betting site in Ireland is MansionBet, which like a lot of sites also has an online casino attached to its sportsbook, giving a variety of betting options to its customers. At MansionBet, customers will find lots of markets are offered for niche sports such as snooker.

SportNation is the last of the best new betting sites in Ireland that we want to highlight here. New users can get a free bet for joining the site, which makes it an attractive option. Live streaming is also available for horse racing for those who sign up to the SportNation sportsbook.

Online betting laws in Ireland are a lot clearer than in some other countries around the world.

While there is some confusion about whether some forms of offline betting are permitted in Ireland, online sports betting sites are 100% legal to use in Ireland.

Recently introduced legislation has given the green light for sports betting sites to operate in Ireland, whether they are from local companies or those that are based overseas.

Not only is sports betting via the internet permitted, but it is also allowed for companies to offer online casinos and poker sites in Ireland too.

One thing that it will be important to keep an eye on is the fact further updates to online betting laws in Ireland have been considered in the country for a number of years.

Part of the reason for this is the lack of overall regulation for the online betting industry. While neighbours the United Kingdom have the Gambling Commission which regulates sports betting sites, there is no comparable organisation in place in Ireland at the current time.

Should the Gambling Control Bill - which was first floated in 2013 - be formally passed in parliament it could result in changes to online betting laws in Ireland in the future.

For now, sports betting fans in Ireland can be assured that there is no chance of them breaking the law by having a wager on the top race of the day or the big football match of the week.