Below, we discuss three new betting sites in Ireland more in-depth, highlighting the sportsbook depth, betting margins, promotions offer and more.
Many Irish punters might not necessarily consider Quinnbet a 'new betting site', but it actually launched in 2017 and thus doesn't have the same history as other competitors. It is by far the most complete sports betting product on this list, named among the best football betting sites in our test.
Around 30 different sports can be found on the site and there are also some special markets, including politics, so customers are spoiled for choices. A prominent football match will usually have 150-200 markets and there is also a bet builder tool, although this could be a bit better in terms of market depth.
As for the betting margins, our test showed a very nice average of 5.12%. Live streaming is also offered for horse racing and other selected sports events, making it easy for customers to follow the action. However, the live interface could certainly have a more 'luxurious' feel as other prominent bookmakers tend to have infographics.
Quinnbet really shines on the promotions front, with a great welcome offer to begin with and a plethora of promotions for multiple sports. Horse racing alone has 11 promotions (!), so there is something for everyone here and that is nice to see. Overall, therefore, the bookie is a worthy number one here.
Pros
Cons
LiveScore Bet is a new site on the betting scene, but many punters will know of the brand thanks to the football score app. Sister sites include Virgin Bet and Kambi is the provider of the sportsbook, so one would expect a certain quality. Indeed, the bookmaker has a lot going for it.
Almost 40 different sports can be found on the site, in addition to special markets, and the market depth is decent with a little over 100 markets for a big football game. We really like the design of the bet builder but some popular markets were missing from this tool, which will be a deal-breaker for some punters.
Our betting margins test showed an average of 7.01%, which is okay, but LiveScore Bet could certainly improve on this front. Streaming, on the other hand, is something that the bookie has always done well - initially launching it in its football score app - and thus punters can enjoy football games and horse racing meetings from all over the world.
LiveScore Bet is rather good at offering promotions to existing customers, always keeping up with the latest sports events, but the best deal is arguably the sign-up offer. New customers can claim a whopping €50 in free bets and that alone is a reason to create an account and give the bookie a go.
Pros
Cons
There are both pros and cons of signing up for a new betting site. Below, we have listed three of each:
New Customer Offers: When joining a new betting site, or any betting site for that matter, punters can usually claim good welcome offers. Deals such as bet €10 get €30 are very popular, for example.
Innovation: To compete with the best, new bookies have to innovate. For example, LeoVegas launched with a mobile focus and quickly became one of the best mobile betting sites available.
Better Odds: This isn't always the case, it should be noted, but sometimes new betting sites offer better value in terms of betting margins and the odds offered for a specific event.
Dodgy Practices: Some of the new betting sites that have been launching in recent years, especially white-label ones, have displayed poor practices. Customer support can often be difficult to get hold of and many punters have also experienced issues when withdrawing winnings.
Low-Quality Sportsbooks: New bookies never will be able to compete with a giant like bet365, everyone can agree on that, but sometimes the standard is even lower than expected. This is also one of the main reasons why punters turn the other way, registering solely to claim the welcome offer.s
Few payment methods: E-wallets like PayPal and Skrill are rarely offered by new betting sites, with some accepting just debit cards or bank transfers. Of course, to claim a welcome offer, you often need to use a debit card but at least you can switch to another method later on most betting sites.
When opting to sign up for a new betting site, there are a few things that you should look out for. Below, we have collected four essential factors to consider:
There are a lot of new betting sites launching at the moment, but most are white-label solutions in which you cannot find any information on the owners behind the brand. We hear you ask, what is a white-label solution? Well, in the gambling industry, it is a product or solution that is created by a company to sell or lease it to another company or investors.
In recent years, we have seen many white-label betting sites launch and AG Communications Limited, as well as Progress Play Limited, are major players in that sense. While these sites are licensed and fully legal, they don't always have the best practices and that is something to look out for.
Furthermore, if you find a new bookmaker which is not on BettingGuide, we do recommend caution as they might not have a valid gambling licence for Irish players. In terms of safety, we only list new betting sites that offer high-end online security which secures communications by encrypting all data to and from the site.
There are no bonuses that are more valuable than a new customer sign-up offer, but you can only claim one per brand. It is important to know how to spot a good offer while avoiding the bad. You can claim these directly from the betting sites, but the easiest way to find them is by using our list of the best welcome offers and sign-up deals.
When checking to see if the offer is good, we recommend starting with the wagering requirements. Most new betting sites offer free bet offers that come with no wagering or small wagering requirements such as 3x the bonus amount. However, if you see a bonus that has a wagering requirement of 10x or more, it is a waste of your time.
All the significant details are listed in the terms and conditions of the offer page, but these aren't always that easy for the average punter to make sense of. On our page for the welcome offers, therefore, we have highlighted the key terms that you need to know.
Before joining a new betting site, check to see if the payment method you want to use is accepted. Most new bookies only launch with a few payment methods available, and may not offer e-wallets such as PayPal, Neteller and other methods that tend to cost more than traditional methods such as debit and credit cards.
It is also important to check which payment restrictions the signup offer has, as many free bet offers cannot be claimed if you deposit with e-wallets. You do not want to miss out on the sign-up offer by depositing with a payment method that is not eligible for the bonus.
Does the new betting site offer the sports you want to bet on, and how high are the betting margins? Almost all of the new bookies on our list offer 30+ sports and a wide range of betting markets, which will be more than enough for most punters. However, the new bookies will rarely ever offer products that can compete with the big brands such as bet365.
We have also seen a rather alarming trend of new betting sites having very high betting margins, with the established brand being the best on that front. Making sure that the new betting site has good coverage, features such as a bet builder tool and fair margins are a good start when assessing the quality of the sportsbook.
Steven is responsible for all content on BettingGuide Ireland. He is an experienced iGaming content writer working in the industry since 2018. If you have any questions regarding online gambling in Ireland, don't hesitate to contact him.