Irish Casinos Reopening: How have they Fared?
Irish betting shops can now open up after months of closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are free to offer slots and card game services. But like hotels, pubs, and all other commercial businesses, they are advised to limit the number of customers and observe social distancing.
Where possible, people have been advised to work from home, shop, and use casino services online. But is it even necessary to be thinking about casinos at these trying times? Can you trust Irish casinos?
Legal and Licensed
While Ireland is yet to permit land-based casinos, it allows its citizens to play casino games online. It provides licenses to both local and foreign operators, which is why so many British gambling brands offer their services in Ireland.
From Betfair and Paddy Power to Ladbrokes and William Hill, nearly all British online casinos accept Irish citizens. Many more operators based in Malta, Sweden, and even Australia also accept players from the Emerald Island.
As mentioned, Ireland ensures casinos operating in the country have licenses. These permits proof the operators’ websites are safe, and that the companies offer gambling services fairly.
With that in mind, Irish casinos are generally safe and there are almost no cases of scam companies licensed by the government. Of course, that means you need to stick with licensed websites to avoid fraudsters.
Games Offered
Unless you intend to play lotteries, you won’t find casino games made in Ireland. What’s more, you’ll get in return are slots and table games designed by software providers based in England, Sweden, Isle of Man, or Germany.
Slots are the most popular casino games at Irish casinos. There are simple to play, can be exciting and highly rewarding. They are also cheap and great if you don’t want to hang around online casinos for more than a few minutes.
On the flip side, you can also play card games like poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. The best part is that you don’t need to join a members’ club like many land-based private gambling establishments require.
You can play online poker and blackjack against software or real people. Most people choose the latter because it’s fun and makes online gaming livelier. However, keep in mind playing card games with people can be profitable or risky depending on how skilled you are.
Welcome and Loyalty Bonuses
If you have an Irish ID, you qualify for bonuses at most online casinos. Some companies give you betting money immediately you sign up an account. Others offer to match your first deposit 100%.
Despite that, bonuses vary widely in the amount, qualification, and withdrawal requirements. Some companies are more generous than others. The best operators have friendly policies while a few websites have exploitive terms and conditions.
How do you know the best bonuses in Ireland? Use a casino comparison website like bestcasino.co.uk. You’ll find reviews of the best gaming websites in Ireland, their games, bonuses, and their policies. Then you can claim bonuses fully aware of their terms and conditions.
As mentioned, you want to join a casino that offers both welcome and loyalty bonuses. You’re only a new customer once. After that, you might never receive offers on some platforms. If you’re a high roller, find a website with exclusive rewards for VIP players. You deserve it!
Payment Methods
What payment methods do Irish casinos use? PayPal, Skrill, Visa, MasterCard, Paysafe, Boku, Neteller, EcoPayz, Trustly—nothing you haven’t used in the past. The minimum you can deposit is €10 at most websites. The maximum depends on what option you use.
Bank transfers, for example, support up to €100,000 but many e-wallets, including PayPal, limit you to €10,000. The same case applies to withdrawals. The minimum amount can be small but the maximum varies depending on a casino’s terms and your chosen banking options.
When searching for an online casino, you also need to check these things:
- Withdrawal Speed
- Betting and cashout limits
- Verification Requirements
Many casinos let you deposit money smoothly. It’s a clean process and you seldom encounter any challenges. Trouble starts when you win money and need to cash it out. The best operators can process your payment within hours. But others, not so fast.
High limits are important, particularly, when you’re a high roller. You want a company that lets you bet as much as you want and withdraw tens of thousands of euros with no questions asked. If you have to provide documents, the verification process should be fast.
Sportsbooks within Casinos
Many online casinos that accept Irish citizens also tend to have a sportsbook within their website. Essentially, you can’t differentiate an online bookmaker from a casino, at least when it’s a brand name company such as William Hill, Paddy Power, or Bet365.
They offer sports betting and casino games through the same website. Does it matter? In most cases, no. It doesn’t change the quality of your experience. Neither does it complicate the betting process.
In fact, the presence of sportsbooks within casinos ensures you can gamble on just about anything online. That’s because many betting websites offer more than sports. They also dabble with financial, political, and celebrity bets.
Of course, many sportsbooks come with the same perks as casinos. You can claim free bets, VIP rewards, and betting tools. You can even stream football and horse racing at some of the betting apps.
Customer Service and Reputation
Online gambling businesses haven’t been without flaws in Ireland. One of their biggest challenges is to provide quality customer service. Many operators have contact emails, chatbots, and phone numbers. But offering fast and helpful replies seem to be the problem.
Only a handful of casinos can claim to offer fast and helpful customer service. So, be careful when choosing a gaming website. As a tip, read online reviews to learn about a company’s reputation. If everyone says their customer service department is non-functional; run.
Instead, look for a website people praise not just because of their games and bonuses but also because they take calls and listen to customers.