The Legality of Online Casinos in Ireland
Ireland, a small though beautiful piece of land right on the shores of Great Britain is home to some of the most incredible sceneries on the Earth. From high mountains to lush green grassy grounds to a beautiful coastline, Ireland has it all. Though when it comes to wagering on the island, you may not find any place to go.
That’s because of the 1965 Gambling and Lotteries Act of Gambling Law that prohibits the establishment of land-based casinos within the country. Though there is a clause that allows small pubs and clubs to offer limited gambling options for punters, they are still pretty hard to find.
However, a good piece of news here is that online gambling is entirely legal and regulated in Ireland. In 2003 the Irish government introduced a new law allowing citizens to take part in gaming activities on web platforms operating both nationally and internationally.
This law completely changed the whole gambling scenario on the island with numerous international brands rushing in to provide quality gambling services to Irish citizens. The first licensed betting website was approved in 2004, and since then a good lot of the top names have entered the online Irish market.
Authorities Controlling the Online Casinos in Ireland
Irish regulatory structure is somewhat confusing with multiple authorities involved in the process. For instance, the online lottery is regulated by the An Garda Siochana, Regulator of National Lottery, and it also comes under the jurisdiction of District Court. Moreover, online games like slot machines, roulette and blackjack are regulated by the Revenue Commissioners office. The Revenue Commissioners also look over online sports betting and horse racing. There is undoubtedly a need to update the gambling laws in the country, but keeping in view the potential of bad gambling habits, the government is still shy of passing any new laws.
Who Is Allowed to Gamble in Ireland?
The Gambling Law 2003 permits all of the Irish Citizens and also the visitors to take part in Internet gaming activities only if they fulfil the legalised age requirements. According to the Gambling and Lotteries Act of 1956, the authorised age for Irish citizens was 16. However, The Courts and Civil Liabilities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill passed recently in 2017, has raised the gambling age for Irish citizens to 18. The law also prohibits online wagers of more than €5,000, thus promoting healthy betting habits.
Top Online Casinos for Irish Citizens
Since the laws are pretty confusing and especially if you’re a visitor in Ireland looking to play on the Internet, the most important thing for you is to select a safe web casino. That’s because, in the case of a dispute, you won’t have any idea of which authority to go to as there are so many involved in the process. Therefore, it’s better to thoroughly investigate the online casino before putting your hard-earned money on the line. To help you through the process, we have devised a list of 3 of the best casino websites operating in Ireland.
- Casino Ireland VulkanVegas: With hundreds of magnificent games all powered by some of the top software providers in the industry, Vulkan Vegas is a great place to start from. Vulkan’s gaming lobby is filled with all sorts of gambling options. Among them are the intriguing slot machines, a variety of table games, and most importantly the club also offers a Live Casino platform for players looking for some real-life action. Vulkan Vegas offers seamless quality and fair dealings that make it one of the best online destinations for Irish players.
- Bet21: If you’re more into sports betting, Bet21 is the place for you to visit. With a clean, genuine atmosphere, Bet21 allows you to place your bets on more than 1,000 live events on a daily basis. Covering all major events, i.e. horse racing, rugby, hurling, football, ice hockey and Gaelic football, Bet21 is heaven for Irish punters looking to try their luck on live events.
- Mr Green: Another incredible choice for Irish players is the gentleman of the gambling world; Mr Green. In business since late 2007, Mr Green is one of the highest-rated online casinos in the world. With a proven track record of safety, security and reliability, the club offers more than 800 hundred games all carefully selected to keep the diversity and quality to the utmost level.
All three of the online platforms are safe and secure; still, we’d advise you to thoroughly investigate these clubs on your own before signing yourself up.
Conclusion
Online betting in Ireland is 100% legalized. If you are 18 or above, you can take part in any of the online gambling activities though always remember to play on the safer side and do invest some time in making sure that the casino you are choosing is reliable and secure.