The Best Online Casino Sites in Ireland - 2022

How Do We Rate Irish Online Casinos?

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to reviewing Ireland’s online casinos, but fortunately our team has done the hard work for you. Here’s a breakdown of the criteria we evaluate as we put our operator reviews together.

Licensing

There’s a golden rule when it comes to online gambling: never play at casinos that aren’t licensed by a reputable industry body. Without this stamp of approval, there’s no guarantee the games will be fair, or that your personal details will be kept secure from fraudsters. At TopRatedCasinos, we will only ever recommend sites that are fully licensed and regulated, so you can be confident that any casino you choose here will be above board.

Games Selection

While the general feel of a casino site is important, the really crucial question is how good its selection of games is. You can have the cleanest layout and coolest backdrops, but none of that matters if there isn’t a great range of slots and table games available. When reviewing casino sites, we make careful note of the smallest details, such as whether there are progressive jackpot slots, and how big the offering of live dealer games is.

Site Design

A really top-notch Ireland casino site should be easy on the eye, and just as easy to navigate. We don’t like cluttered sites that aren’t user-friendly, and we look for casinos which have clearly-laid out games libraries, tabs for different categories, and intuitive search functions that let you find the kinds of games you’re after in no time. What’s more, a well-designed site will make it a lot easier for you to sign up and make your first deposit.

Bonuses and Promotions

There are myriad welcome bonuses and ongoing promos out there, and our experts pay close attention to what’s on offer at various sites. We don’t only pay attention to how much you’ll get with each bonus, but how player-friendly the terms and conditions are. The fewer strings attached, the better!

Mobile

These days, every self-respecting casino site will be fully-optimised for mobile use. The very best sites also have native apps you can download to your phone or tablet. We like native apps as they tend to be faster and easier to use, they don’t require any web browser navigation, and they can provide instant push notifications to keep you alert to bonuses as they become available.

Payment Methods

Top Irish casino sites will support a range of banking options so customers can opt for the method that’s most convenient to them. From fast withdrawal e-wallets to high-security deposit prepaid cards, there are a wide variety of options available to Irish players. Check out our comparison of casino banking methods to find out more.

Terms and Conditions

Before you get swept up in the excitement of the casino’s games collection, it’s important to pause and check the terms and conditions first. These will dictate what games you can use a bonus on, how much you have to deposit to claim it and how much you must wager before you can access any winnings.

Our Approach – We Value Your Trust

With plenty of comparison sites claiming to offer the best online casino rankings why put your faith in us? Well, there’s a few reasons.

First off, we’re completely unbiased, as we are not owned by a big gambling brand we therefore don’t have any conflicts of interest or certain casinos to review and promote.

We focus on players in our online casino reviews, making sure you can find your favourite casino games easily. To do so we highlight the key terms and conditions so there are no nasty surprises when you get to signing up.

Our experts follow a strict and lengthy checklist when writing their reviews and constructing our online casino ratings to ensure they cover all bases, so you can count on us to give you everything you need to know to pick the perfect online casino for you.

Best Games at Online Irish Casinos

Online casinos in Ireland offer a vast range of games to players. Whether you’re keen on more strategy-based table games or the immersive themes of video slots, there’s a variety of games to suit all tastes.

Slots

Slot games tend to make up the largest portion of an online casino’s selection. They’re popular with players who enjoy luck-based games and are less interested in strategy. The basic gameplay of most online slots is simple — players spin the reels and hope to land three or more paying symbol combinations going left to right along a payline. Different symbols have different values, meaning payouts vary depending on the winning combination.

While most slots follow a similar format, some use more inventive mechanics to shake things up. In the case of Megaways slots, there’s a changing number of symbols per reel throughout the game. What’s more, there are no typical paylines with the revolutionary Megaways game mechanic providing 117,649 ways to win.

There’s also lots of variety in the themes of different slots  — you could be searching for the lost city of El Dorado in Gonzo’s Quest one minute, then fighting off demons with some vampires in Blood Suckers 2 the next.

Poker

Poker is the ultimate game for casino-goers who enjoy using strategy and tactics. It’s a card game where players use chips to wager on whether their hand is better than their opponent’s.

Texas Hold’em is the most common variety of poker. In this game, players use their own cards in combination with the ones on the table to create a hand. The potential hands are ranked and include combinations like three of a kind (three of the same number) and a flush (five cards of the same suit).

There is plenty of bluffing involved in poker, which is one aspect the professionals — who often wear sunglasses to avoid giving anything away — are particularly good at. One popular variation that doesn’t involve bluffing is Caribbean Stud Poker, where you compete against the dealer instead.

Roulette

Roulette is a game of chance where players bet on where the ball will land on a spinning wheel. The roulette wheel consists of numbers 0–36 on alternating colours of red and black. The game dates back to 18th century France, where it then spread to Europe and the US throughout the 19th century.

Players can bet on numerous outcomes in roulette, categorised as inside and outside bets. Inside bets are riskier and include the straight-up bet where you predict a specific number for the ball to land on. A straight-up bet pays 35 to 1. Outside bets are broader and include a bet on whether the outcome will be red/black, odd/even or a number in a particular column.

Two of the main variations are European and American roulette. In American roulette, there are two zero spaces instead of one which brings up the number of spaces on the wheel to 28. This means that the house edge rises from 2.7% to 5.26%. Software providers such as Evolution Gaming have developed some modern takes on this classic game that perhaps appeal more to slots fans. One such example is Lightning Roulette, where there are multipliers up to 500x up for grabs throughout the game.

Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular table games, both online and at land-based casinos. In this game, players compete against the dealer by turning over cards and trying to get as close to 21 as possible without going bust. Throughout the game, players have the option to stand or hit, often referred to colloquially as ‘stick or twist’.

While there is plenty of luck involved with the cards that are dealt, players can reduce the house edge by using effective strategy. Blackjack strategy is based on responding to the cards the dealer has and your own cards. Many beginners use strategy charts that indicate whether to stand, hit, double or split depending on the given situation.

Customer Support at Irish Online Casinos

If you have an issue with an online casino, the first port of call is raising it with the casino itself. Casino sites are required by law to look into and attempt to resolve any issues customers may raise. The contact details for a casino will be found on the website. The best sites will provide a 24 hour chat service, along with contact details for phone, email and social media.

When you approach a casino with an issue, be sure to have read and understood all the terms and conditions related to it and have them in front of you, if speaking on the phone.

Record all your correspondence with the casino, which will be especially helpful if you lose connection on a live chat or over the phone. Screengrabs of disputed transactions can also help your cause.

If your dispute is rejected by a casino but you wish to pursue it further you can raise it with an Alternate Dispute Resolution body (ADR). Using an ADR is free of charge, but you can only go down this route once you have completed the official complaints procedure at the online casino in question.

Top Casino Software Providers

Often players don’t recognise how competitive the software in online casino gaming is, with upwards of 40 developers battling to create the best games on the market. Some of the best casino software that exists comes from Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, Evolution Gaming, NextGen and IGT, all of which have developed a reputation for developing the best online casino games. Our Irish casino reviews list the different software providers used by each casino to give you a good idea of what you can expect when you sign up and play.

Online Casino Payment Methods

To make the list of our online casino rankings, sites must offer a wide range of different payment methods. Whether you want to deposit money with a credit or debit card, an e-wallet like PayPal or even cryptocurrency it should be simple to head to the cashier, select your preferred payment and follow the on-screen instructions. We also make sure our recommended casinos have fair banking terms, including reasonable deposit limits and fast payout times. Let’s have a look at some of the key payment methods available to you in more detail.

Debit Cards

If you have a debit card, it can be tempting to use it to deposit and withdraw funds. There are some drawbacks, however. Some players may not feel entirely comfortable typing in their debit card details at every casino site they join, plus it can take considerably longer to make withdrawals using the debit card than an e-wallet alternative. Generally speaking, you’ll need to wait 3-5 days to make a debit card withdrawal, on top of the casino’s internal processing time. E-wallet withdrawals, however, can often be processed within 24 hours.

PayPal

PayPal is arguably the biggest name when it comes to e-wallets. It’s certainly convenient and safe to use, letting you deposit and withdraw at casinos without having to enter bank information. Withdrawals also tend to be a lot quicker when you use PayPal, with some fast withdrawals casinos even offering instant processing.

Other e-Wallets

Skrill and Neteller are among the other e-wallet options out there, providing identical benefits to PayPal. Again, you don’t need to put your sensitive details out there, and withdrawals can be very quick. A major sticking point, however, is that some welcome bonuses are invalid if you make your first deposit through one of these e-wallets. Double check the terms and conditions before depositing to avoid any disappointment.

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards are ideal if you like to use cash as much as possible, or want to keep tight control on spending. Each card––which can be purchased in a shop or online––is worth a set amount. You just input the code at the casino site and the funds will be transferred. The key downside to this method is that you can’t make withdrawals to prepaid cards, meaning you’ll need to provide an alternative payment option.

Pay by Phone

The pay by phone method lets you deposit funds at your online casino by charging the amount to your next monthly phone bill. No bank details need to be shared, which is always a big plus, and the relatively low maximum deposit can be helpful for money management. However, as with prepaid cards, you can’t make withdrawals using the pay by phone method.

Irish Casino Bonuses

With so many great Irish casinos brimming with games from leading software developers, choosing which sites to sign up for can often come down to a simple question: how good is the welcome bonus?

There are several different types of welcome bonus to get your head around, though, and assessing their quality doesn’t just come down to their monetary value. You also need to check the terms and conditions to be sure of getting the best deal, as well as to avoid any unnecessary pitfalls. Let’s look more closely at the bonuses you’re likely to see.

Matched Deposits

You’ll know a matched deposit bonus when you see one. The typical write-up will look something like ‘100% up to €200’. In this case, any amount you deposit up to €200 will be fully matched by the casino site. So, if you sign up and transfer €50, you’ll have a total of €100 to play with. You’ll want to check the T&Cs for the wagering requirements –– in other words, how many times you have to bet your bonus funds before you can access winnings. You’ll also want to check if there’s a cap on how much you can win, and the date you’ll need to fulfil the wagering requirement by.

Free Spins

Free spins let you play slots without spending your own money, but there are usually strings attached. For example, free spins are often only provided for specific games, and there will usually be wagering requirements slapped onto anything you win from free spins. Even so, free spins are a great way to have fun and try out new slots titles with no risk to your balance.

No Deposit Bonuses

Do casinos sometimes give you bonus credits just for signing up? Yes, actually. While no deposit bonuses aren’t as widely available as matched deposit bonuses, they do occasionally pop up, letting you bet without spending anything at all. A typical no deposit bonus will be small, but it means you can get a feel for a casino site and its wares for free. You’ll likely need to complete wagering requirements in order to withdraw any winnings, however.

Reload Bonuses

The best Irish casino sites don’t just provide bonuses to encourage new people to sign up. They also keep existing members sweet with regular promotions, such as extra free spins and matched deposit bonuses awarded across weeks or months. It’s important to check the relevant promotions page at any given casino site so you’re aware of what’s on offer.

Terms and Conditions

Before you get swept up in the excitement of the casino’s games collection, it’s important to pause and check the terms and conditions first. Whatever type of bonus you hope to claim, there will be stipulations attached that affect how you can use them. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the key bits of small print you can expect to find at Ireland’s best online casinos.

Minimum Deposits

Most welcome bonuses can be claimed once players have registered and deposited a certain amount. It’s important to note that the minimum deposit required to activate bonuses is often equal to or more than the minimum amount you can add to your account. For example, at some online casinos, the smallest amount you can add to your account is €10, which means that the qualifying deposit for a bonus will often be €10 or above.

Wagering Requirements

Unless you are playing with a no wagering bonus, you’ll need to deposit a certain amount before you’re able to withdraw any bonus cash. If the wagering requirement on a €20 casino bonus is 30x the bonus amount, a player would need to wager €600 (20 x 30) before they could claim any cash from the promotion. Additionally, the deposit is sometimes included in the wagering calculation. In this instance, the player would instead need to wager €1,200 (€20 + €20) x 30 before withdrawing the bonus funds.

Winnings Caps

There will generally be a limit to how much you can rake in using bonus credits. It is important to make note of this before signing up to a promotion so that you don’t end up spending more than you can possibly win from it.

Free Spins Value

When playing a slot game, players can set the value of each of their spins. However, with promotional free spins, the value of the spin is usually set to the minimum, which for most online slots is €0.10.

Maximum Stake

This condition is one that can sometimes be lost in the small print, so it’s important to know where you stand before you begin. When playing with bonus credit obtained from a promotional offer, there is sometimes a limit on the amount you can wager at a time. If your stake exceeds this level at any time, your bonus may be automatically forfeited. Similar rules may also apply when fulfilling wagering requirements.

Time Limits

You will usually be expected to spend your bonus credits, and meet wagering requirements, by a deadline. These time limits can often be around seven days after claiming the promotion, but may also be just 24 hours, so make sure you read the fine print carefully to avoid disappointment.

Game Exclusions

Bonuses may be ineligible for certain games or gambling verticals, so be sure to check that the bonus can be applied to your preferred activities. For example, you may only be allowed to use a promotion on specific slot games such a Mega Moolah or Starburst, and not any of the newer titles you may have your eye on.

Payment Exclusions

Some deposit methods, such as Skrill or Neteller, may not unlock welcome bonuses. It is more common for these exclusions to be applied to certain e-wallets, and it it very unlikely that you will come across such limitations on debit card deposits.

Game Weighting

You’ll often find that some games contribute more to your wagering requirements than others. Slots, for example, may contribute 100% of your wagers to your wagering requirements target, while table games may only count for 10% of each wager.

Best Irish Mobile Casinos

Like regular online casinos, mobile casinos host a vast array of games such as slots and table games. The main difference is that with a mobile casino, you can spin the reels from your handheld device in any location.

A large part of what makes mobile casinos so popular is that you can pick up your phone wherever you are and start playing. However, it’s not just the portability that’s a plus for players —  touch screen functionality is one aspect that many players relish, while many people find it easier to get comfortable when playing on their phones.

Software providers optimise games to ensure they perform just as well on mobile devices. In fact, with constant innovations taking place in the smartphone space, many players actually benefit from superior graphics when playing on mobile. What’s more, mobile casinos allow players to make use of Apple Pay and Google Pay when depositing funds.

Naturally, there are some drawbacks to playing with mobile casinos. Firstly, it’s not uncommon for there to be a slightly smaller range of games available when playing on mobile. Live casino games are the most likely to miss out in these instances, although most mobile apps will at least have a limited selection available.

Also, many players may still prefer to play on the larger screen provided by their desktop or laptop. A larger display is particularly useful in live casino games with lots of players, or slot games with intricate details.

While many players are happy playing via their mobile browser, it is far easier to play via a native app developed by the online casino itself. With just the click of a button, you can load up your favourite games, all stored within one central app. Some mobile casinos even offer exclusive bonuses that you won’t find elsewhere.

Try Your Hand at a Live Casino

Online casinos have come a long way since the days when players were limited to computer game versions of the likes of roulette and blackjack. These days, you can enjoy a genuine, casino-like experience thanks to live dealer games. Made available by software developers such as Playtech and Evolution, live dealer games take place in glamorous casino studios, with real croupiers and dealers spinning real roulette wheels and dealing real cards. You’ll watch the action via crystal-clear webcam streams, and you can even interact with dealers and other players through a chat window.

By capturing the social atmosphere of a casino, live dealer games are the closest you can come to taking your seat at a table in person, and you can do it whenever you want, wherever you are. That being said, you will need to have a reliable and fast internet connection to minimise the risk of any glitches in the stream.

New Online Casinos in Ireland

When you’re shopping for a new online casino to join, it’s only natural to be drawn to the sites that have been around for ages and built up big media profiles. However, if you don’t check out the newer casino sites, you might be missing out. The new kids on the block can offer some pretty tantalising perks, such as:

• Generous welcome bonuses – new sites will often attract punters by offering hefty matched deposits and free spins, with player-friendly wagering requirements;
• Ongoing promos – to stay on their members’ radars, new sites will often provide plenty of reload bonuses after players have settled in;
• Innovative design – unencumbered by tradition, new casino sites can often pull out all the stops when it comes to fresh, innovative, playful layouts and interfaces;
• Expertise – even if a site is new to the scene, it may well be run by a company which has years of experience in the online gambling sector, meaning you can reap the benefits of their expertise along with a fresh casino experience.