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Editorial disclaimer: TheBettingDude reviews betting products. I do not take bets, host odds or accept payment for a rank, and the links out are plain links with no commission behind them. Featured placements are labelled and sit outside the ranking. How I score
13 listedupdated by The Dude
| Rank | Name | Score | Platforms | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bet365 | 9.0 | Web, iOS, Android | — | Very large range of markets and in-play betting, with live streaming. So many options that the site can feel crowded. |
| 2 | Betfair | 8.6 | Web, iOS, Android | — | Exchange plus sportsbook. On the exchange you bet against other people and can lay (bet against) an outcome; commission applies. |
| 3 | Sky Bet | 8.2 | Web, iOS, Android | — | UK bookmaker that carries the Sky brand. Football and horse racing come first. |
| 4 | William Hill | 8.1 | Web, iOS, Android | — | Long-standing UK bookmaker with strong horse racing coverage and high-street shops behind the website. |
| 5 | Paddy Power | 8.0 | Web, iOS, Android | — | Irish bookmaker known for loud marketing. Football and horse racing are the core of the sportsbook. |
| 6 | Ladbrokes | 7.9 | Web, iOS, Android | — | One of the oldest UK names, with shops nationwide and a full online sportsbook. Also trades in Australia. |
| 7 | Smarkets | 7.9 | Web, iOS, Android | — | Betting exchange with a simple interface that charges commission on net winnings. Less liquidity than Betfair outside the big events. |
| 8 | Unibet | 7.8 | Web, iOS, Android | — | European bookmaker licensed in the UK, Ireland and Romania, among other countries. It left the US and Ontario in 2024. |
| 9 | Betway | 7.7 | Web, iOS, Android | — | International book with local sites across Africa as well as the UK. Carries a dedicated esports section. |
| 10 | BetVictor | 7.5 | Web, iOS, Android | — | Gibraltar-based book with a long UK history. Football and racing focus, clean site. |
The best-known betting sites in Ireland are listed below with their good and bad points. Free bet offers and promo deals are left out on purpose, the links are plain links, and I earn nothing if you open an account.
If you’re an adult in Ireland who’s decided to bet, here’s a plain description of the choices. Most of the names will be familiar from the high street: Paddy Power and BoyleSports, the home-grown ones, along with bet365, Sky Bet, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Unibet, Betway, BetVictor and 888sport. The four betting exchanges, Betfair, Smarkets, Matchbook and Betdaq, are included as well. Each row says what the bookmaker is good at and what’s irritating about it.
Irish regulation is mid-change. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 set up a new regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which is taking over licensing in stages. Many rows here show a UK licence because that’s the licence I could confirm from public sources so far. Irish licence details are still being verified by hand, so check the bookmaker’s footer, and the GRAI’s website, before you deposit.
There are no picks to grade on a bookmaker, so five criteria decide: transparency, coverage, ease of use, price and support. The scoring method sits on the methodology page. For now the marks are provisional: I worked from public information and haven’t reviewed anything hands-on.
Racing is the heart of Irish betting, and the horse racing betting hub lists the form and ratings sites worth using. The glossary explains what an each-way bet is, and how betting odds work covers fractional prices. Other countries are on the main bookmakers list.
18+ only. Most bettors lose over time. If betting has stopped being fun, the responsible gambling page lists free Irish help lines.
Very large range of markets and in-play betting, with live streaming. So many options that the site can feel crowded.
Web · iOS · Android
Exchange plus sportsbook. On the exchange you bet against other people and can lay (bet against) an outcome; commission applies.
Web · iOS · Android
UK bookmaker that carries the Sky brand. Football and horse racing come first.
Web · iOS · Android
Long-standing UK bookmaker with strong horse racing coverage and high-street shops behind the website.
Web · iOS · Android
Irish bookmaker known for loud marketing. Football and horse racing are the core of the sportsbook.
Web · iOS · Android
One of the oldest UK names, with shops nationwide and a full online sportsbook. Also trades in Australia.
Web · iOS · Android
Betting exchange with a simple interface that charges commission on net winnings. Less liquidity than Betfair outside the big events.
Web · iOS · Android
European bookmaker licensed in the UK, Ireland and Romania, among other countries. It left the US and Ontario in 2024.
Web · iOS · Android
International book with local sites across Africa as well as the UK. Carries a dedicated esports section.
Web · iOS · Android
Gibraltar-based book with a long UK history. Football and racing focus, clean site.
Web · iOS · Android
Sportsbook arm of the 888 group. Tidy site with the main markets; less depth on niche sports.
Web · iOS · Android
Ireland's largest independent bookmaker. Racing-led, with shops in Ireland and the UK.
Web · iOS · Android
Betting exchange licensed in the UK and Ireland, with horse racing at its core. Much less liquidity than Betfair outside the big races.
Web · iOS · Android
Yes, for adults aged 18 and over, with a bookmaker licensed to take bets from Ireland. Remote bookmakers have needed an Irish licence since 2015. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created a dedicated regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, which is taking over licensing and enforcement in stages.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, known as the GRAI. It was set up under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to license operators, enforce advertising and player-protection rules, and run a national self-exclusion register. Because the new system is being phased in, check the GRAI's own website for the current position.
bet365 has the highest score on this list, followed by Betfair, Sky Bet, William Hill and Paddy Power. For Irish racing, the home-grown names, Paddy Power and BoyleSports, are the ones most people compare first. Scores are provisional, and the best choice depends on whether you mainly bet racing, football or GAA (Gaelic games).
Bettors in Ireland don't pay tax on their winnings. There is a betting duty, but it's charged to the bookmaker on the stakes it takes, not to you. Exchanges pay a duty on their commission instead. Tax rules can change in any Budget, so treat this as general information and not advice.
Yes. Betfair, Smarkets, Matchbook and Betdaq are all listed here as serving Ireland. On an exchange you bet against other customers and pay commission on winnings. Betdaq and Betfair are the ones with meaningful money on Irish racing, and outside the big meetings markets can be thin.
Yes, the traditional bookmakers can and do restrict stakes for customers who win consistently, the same as in the UK. It isn't against the rules. If your stakes get cut, an exchange is the usual alternative, because the exchange earns commission whether you win or lose.
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