One important fact to note when talking about the legality of gambling both online and on land in Ireland is that though Ireland is one physical entity, politically its two separate countries, governed by two separate bodies of Government.The Northern half of the Island that is Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, and is therefore governed by the laws that are outlined in our UK Poker sites article.The southern half of the island, which actually makes up the Republic of Ireland, is completely independent of the United Kingdom. Southern Ireland, which is officially known as the Republic of Ireland, is most commonly just referred to as Ireland, so that’s how we’ll refer to it in the remainder of this article, which will indeed focus on the Southern, and independent half of the island.Ireland, which, as it takes up about 5/6th’s of the island, is much larger than its counterpart Northern Ireland. Southern Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland, is as we’ve established above a sovereign nation. The capital of Ireland is Dublin. The official currency of Ireland is the Euro; making finding compatible poker sites a fairly easy task.
Euro Poker Sites
The following poker sites not only offer play in Euro’s, as well as offering players the ability to manage their accounts in Euro’s, they also accept Irish poker players and have passed our stringent poker site review process.
- Titan Poker
- Bwin
- Bet365
- PokerStars
There are two official languages spoken in Ireland, Irish, which most people will automatically assume, and then English. Almost every poker software in existence, if not every single piece of online poker software originates in English so finding software in that language is no problem at all.
Irish Poker Software
- Paddy Poker
Irish Accomodating Poker Sites
All of the following poker sites welcome Irish poker players, some of them will offer play in Irish, others will offer account management or play in Euro’s.
- PokerStars
- Carbon Poker
- Party Poker
- Betway Poker
- Bodog Poker
- Everest Poker
- Virgin Poker
- Unibet Poker
Irish Poker Tax
If you’re more than the most casual of players, the idea of having to pay tax on your winnings as a poker player has probably crossed your mind. In fact, if you’re a professional poker player, there’s probably a place for taxes in your bankroll management software or spreadsheet.Well rest assured, at current, there’s no tax due on poker winnings in Ireland. There is however talk of imending taxes on poker winnings in the future however, so make sure you keep abreast of new laws by book marking this page, as well as by keeping in contact with a tax professional, or lawyer.It’s believed that the government is interested in developing a liberal and progressive online casino gaming law that would benefit both the state and operators. Earlier the year there were talks about implementing a 1% turnover tax on online casino and poker activities which would be one of the lowest gaming tax rates in Europe.The Irish government seems to have learned from the mistakes committed by the UK seven years ago. At that time the UK increased its real money gaming tax to 15% on gross profits hoping to cash in more revenues from taxation.
Well-Known Irish Poker Players
- Andy Black
- Marty Smyth
- Eoghan O’Dea
- Padraig Parkinson
- Fintan Gavin
- Dermot Blain
- John Magill
- Donnacha O’Dea
- Liam Flood
- Noel Furlong
Irish Deposit and Withdrawal Options
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to playing poker online often has nothing to do with knowing whether to hold your cards, or fold them into the muck. It has nothing to do with tells, or player phycology, it has to do with getting money into your account in the first place, and then getting it back out again.Because the laws surrounding online gambling in Ireland are still very liberal, this is less challenging for Irish residents than it can be for some players in other parts of the world, however, it can still be a debacle figuring out all of the different options available in Ireland, and then choosing the right one for you.Some popular Irish poker deposit options include:
Credit Card Deposit Options
Debit Cards a Deposit Method
- Laser
- Visa Electron
- Maestro
eWallet’s
More Options
- Bank Transfers
- Cheques
Some poker rooms also offer private methods for making deposits, like the Paddy Power Cash Card which obviously only works at Paddy Poker. The cash card can be purchased directly from Paddy Power shops which are actually located mostly in London.
