Betting has long been one of the most popular past times for consumers within both the UK and Ireland. In particular, gambling on sports such as horse racing, greyhound racing, and football has always been a central part of the finances and culture of the game. Slots and casinos have also been somewhat popular within the countries.
However, gambling over the past few years has exploded in both the UK and Ireland with the huge expansion of online gambling in both countries. Online slots, casino games, and sports betting have all become extremely popular. This article with consider some of the most popular Irish bookmakers that UK bettors can use today and the pros and cons of using each site.
Boylesports
While originally a traditional brick-and-mortar casino, over the past few years Boylesports has slowly moved towards entering the online market. Boylesports is one of the most established names in the Irish gambling industry, offering a great range of deals to customers in both Ireland and the UK and regularly appearing at the top of new betting site lists. First-time customers signing up from the UK will receive £40 in free bets when signing up online when they put a minimum deposit of £10 down. Boylesports have also worked hard to build up its online reputation over the past few years, building up the number of sports they cover and its live betting experience on its site.
However, while Boylesports has improved its online experience over the past years, it does leave a few things to be desired. Primarily, the design of the webpage is extremely dated compared to its competitors. The site’s home page is extremely cluttered and is not intuitive to navigate. Despite this, Boylesports is a solid option for UK bettors looking to bet with Irish bookmakers!
Paddy Power
Paddy Power is one of, if not the most, popular Irish gambling companies there is. With the company’s creative ad campaigns, fantastic offers, and global reputation, since its establishment, the company has gone from strength to strength. Paddy Power was established in 1988 as a merger between three separate bookmakers across Ireland. In the initial stages of the company’s growth, Paddy Power employed an aggressive market strategy of establishing shops in the most popular spots in Irish towns, rather than on side streets as previous competitors had done.
With the growth of online gambling over the past decade or so, Paddy Power has looked to embrace the digital age. The company has employed several publicity stunts to garner attention online, including offering 16-1 odds that Barack Obama will not finish his first term, placing a wax statue of legendary Manchester United manager outside of Old Trafford, and painting a mural to Irish turned English players Jack Grealish and Declan Rice in Dublin.
Beyond these marketing stunts, Paddy Power offers some great deals to customers in the UK. UK customers can receive a staggering £50 in free bets when depositing just £5! The company also offers the fairly standard casino deal of offering 50 free spins when customers put down a deposit of £10 into their account.
Betfair
Only established in 1999, Betfair is a newer entrant into this market. While in some industries this could be seen as a disadvantage, within the rapidly changing and expanding world of gambling this has proved to be a distinct advantage for Betfair. When Betfair entered the betting market, betting exchanges were done on a peer-to-peer bases. Betfair itself became the first modern ‘bookmaker’ and quickly became the leader in the industry.
Since this initial period, Betfair has only gone from strength to strength. Paddy Power and Betfair undertook a merger in 2015, leading to huge successes for both companies. The company is now one of the leading bookmakers in Ireland, even being one of the biggest globally. The company has great value betting exchanges on its site (though they do have the standard 5% commission rate).
The company also offers some fantastic sign-up offers for customers. For those betting fans who enjoy sports, you get a free £30 bet when depositing £10 into your account. Moreover, when you deposit £10 into your casino account, you also receive an extra 50 free spins! Overall, it is no surprise that Betfair is the leader in the market for Irish and UK consumers, offering fantastic sign-up deals and sleek website design.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there are some fantastic options for customers within the UK when analysing Irish bookmakers. Each site offers something unique, whether it’s great odds, sign-up offers, or sleek design. Ultimately, as the all-rounder Irish betting site, we would recommend Paddy Power due to their great reputation and sign-up offers!
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
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