The largest law on gambling in Ireland was passed in 1956. It is known as the Gaming and Lotteries Act. This law banned casinos and it is in force to this day.
As slot machines became increasingly popular, in the 1970s and 1991 the Financial Act was promulgated regulating the slot machine business. In the 1980s, the National Lottery was created, as the Irish government sought a way to better and more easily fund social services.
As online casinos are banned in Ireland, gambling still exists. Namely, private clubs are allowed to offer gambling machines and gambling tables to their members. There are currently about 12 private gambling clubs in Ireland as they are called in public. These are small casino-like clubs that have poker rooms, blackjack, and roulette tables, as well as slot machines. Unlike formal casinos in other countries, in these private clubs, all visitors must become members of the club, to be able to use gambling services, as well as to act in accordance with the law.
In 2015, amendments to the betting law allowed online sports betting, even for providers outside of Ireland. All of them must apply for a license and abide by the law.
In the last decade, online gambling has been legalized in Ireland, as has online sports betting. This means that although all land-based casinos are banned, you can enjoy blackjack, poker, roulette, or baccarat quite legally in Ireland. Irish law allows both Irish and foreign operators to apply for a license. Because of all this, there are many websites today that offer online gambling to players in Ireland. There are many operators from the nearby United Kingdom, as well as from Malta.
Some of the best online casinos in Ireland are Rizk, NextCasino, Fruity Casa, CasinoLuck, and many others.
