5 Most Popular Types of Gambling in Ireland (2026)

Last Updated on August 6, 2026 by Maurya

Gambling has long been part of Ireland’s sporting, retail and entertainment landscape. From buying a Lotto ticket at a local shop to placing a mobile bet during a major football match, Irish consumers now have access to both traditional and digital forms of gambling.

However, the games receiving the most advertising are not necessarily the ones played by the largest number of people.

Research from the Economic and Social Research Institute provides one of the clearest nationwide pictures of gambling participation in Ireland. Its survey of 2,850 adults found that 74.1% had spent money on at least one gambling activity during the previous four weeks. Around 35.1% had gambled online, while 60.9% had gambled in person. Some people used both channels, which is why the percentages overlap.

Based on that participation data, the five most popular types of gambling in Ireland are:

These figures measure participation rather than total spending, profitability or gambling-related harm. They also show that familiar products such as lottery tickets remain more widely used than online casino games.

How We Ranked Ireland’s Most Popular Gambling Activities

This ranking is based primarily on the ESRI’s Measures of Problem Gambling, Gambling Behaviours and Perceptions of Gambling in Ireland. The study was conducted in August 2023 through three online research panels and produced a usable sample of 2,850 adults aged 18 and over.

The results were weighted using age, gender and educational-attainment data from Census 2022. The researchers also acknowledged that the findings may be less representative of people without internet access, adults over 80 and people unable to complete the survey in English.

This methodological detail matters. Claims about the “most popular” gambling products are sometimes based on operator revenue, website traffic or search volume. Those measures do not reveal how many people actually participate. The ESRI figures provide a more useful basis for comparing gambling categories across the adult population.

Lotteries

Lotteries are comfortably the most widely used form of gambling in Ireland. The ESRI found that 55.9% of adults had spent money on a lottery during the previous four weeks.

Participation remained strongly connected to physical retail: 43.6% had bought lottery entries in person, compared with 16.8% who played online. Because some respondents used both methods, the channel percentages add up to more than the total participation rate.

Popular Irish lottery products include:

• Lotto and Lotto Plus
• EuroMillions and EuroMillions Plus
• Daily Million
• EuroDreams
• Millionaire Raffle
• TellyBingo

Why lotteries are so popular in Ireland

The main strength of lottery gambling is accessibility. Tickets are available through thousands of shops, while draw-based games can also be entered through digital platforms.

Lottery play requires relatively little specialist knowledge. A participant does not need to study team form, understand betting markets or learn casino strategy. Players select numbers, use a quick-pick option or purchase an entry for a scheduled draw.

The National Lottery reported an average of more than 1.2 million players per week in 2024. Its total annual game sales reached €855.7 million, of which €155.1 million—or 18.1%—came through digital channels. The remaining majority continued to come through the retail network, demonstrating the continued importance of shop-based lottery purchases.

The National Lottery is also closely associated with funding for community projects. According to its 2024 reporting, €239.3 million was generated for Good Causes during that year. This connection with sport, health, culture, youth services and community organisations gives the lottery a different public profile from many commercial gambling products.

Nevertheless, lottery participation still involves risking money on an uncertain result. Large jackpots can be attractive, but the probability of winning the top prize is extremely low. Tickets should therefore be treated as entertainment rather than an investment or financial plan.

Scratch Cards and Instant-Win Games

Scratch cards are Ireland’s second most popular gambling activity. Approximately 35.3% of adults surveyed by the ESRI had purchased or played one during the previous four weeks.

Most participation remained offline. Around 31.4% played in person, compared with 5.6% online.

Traditional scratch cards are commonly sold alongside lottery tickets in convenience stores, supermarkets and other National Lottery retailers. Digital instant-win games provide a similar experience through websites or mobile devices.

What makes scratch cards appealing?

Unlike a scheduled lottery draw, a scratch card produces an immediate result. The player does not need to wait until later in the day or week to discover whether the ticket has won.

The products are also simple to understand. Each game generally provides clear instructions, a fixed ticket price and a published prize structure. That simplicity can make scratch cards attractive to occasional players who are not interested in more complicated sports or casino markets.

Digital instant-win games are growing as well. The National Lottery reported that digital sales rose by 17.3% between 2023 and 2024. Its 2024 online offering included dozens of instant-win titles alongside draw-based lottery games.

Immediate results can also encourage repeated play. ESRI researchers noted that scratch cards provide frequent and highly visible opportunities to gamble, with short intervals between the stake and potential payout. They also found that people experiencing problem gambling accounted for a meaningful share of spending on lotteries and scratch cards.

A sensible approach is to decide in advance how many cards to buy and avoid using small wins as a reason to continue purchasing more.

Horse and Greyhound Betting

Betting on horse and greyhound racing ranks third, with 17.1% of Irish adults reporting participation during the previous four weeks.

Online betting was the most commonly reported channel, used by 11.1% of respondents. In-person participation—including betting shops and race venues—stood at 8.8%.

Horse racing has a particularly established position within Irish sporting culture. Major meetings can attract interest from regular racing followers, social visitors and occasional bettors. Betting options may include:

• Win and place bets
• Each-way bets
• Forecasts and tricasts
• Multiple-race accumulators
• Ante-post betting
• Live or in-play markets

The growth of mobile gambling has changed how racing bets are placed. A customer no longer needs to visit a bookmaker or wait until arriving at a racecourse. Race cards, odds, results and live markets can all be accessed through a phone.

This convenience partly explains why online racing betting now exceeds in-person participation. It also means bettors can move rapidly between races taking place in Ireland, Britain and other international markets.

Understanding a race does not remove its uncertainty. Factors such as pace, ground conditions, draw, fitness and in-race events can all influence the result. Even knowledgeable racing followers cannot consistently predict outcomes.

Anyone betting on racing should avoid increasing a stake simply because a previous selection lost. Each race is a separate event, and “chasing” earlier losses can quickly turn a planned entertainment expense into a financial problem.

Sports Betting

Sports betting is the fourth most popular gambling category in Ireland. The ESRI recorded an overall four-week participation rate of 16%.

Online sports betting accounted for 12.7%, while only 5.4% of adults reported betting on sport in person. This makes sports betting one of the most digitally oriented activities in the top five.

Frequently available markets cover sports such as:

• Football
• Gaelic football and hurling
• Rugby
• Golf
• Tennis
• Darts
• Boxing
• Motorsport

Football typically offers an especially broad selection of markets, ranging from the final result to goals, corners, cards and individual-player events. Major GAA, rugby and golf competitions also generate considerable betting interest in Ireland.

Why mobile sports betting has grown

Sportsbook apps allow customers to view odds, build accumulators, follow scores and place bets while an event is underway. This creates a faster experience than traditional pre-match betting.

In-play gambling can be particularly intensive because the odds change continuously. A bettor may be offered a new decision every few seconds during a match. Cash-out tools and live notifications add further prompts to interact with an existing bet.

Promotional offers can also influence betting behaviour. ESRI research published in 2025 found that incentives such as free bets and money-back offers encouraged people to gamble more, with a stronger effect among those already at risk of problem gambling.

Sports knowledge should never be confused with certainty. A person may understand a team, league or player extremely well and still lose because of an injury, refereeing decision, tactical change or unexpected performance.

The safest way to approach sports betting is to set a fixed entertainment budget before opening the app and never assume that a “strong favourite” is guaranteed to win.

Bingo

Bingo completes the top five, with 8.4% of Irish adults reporting that they had spent money on it during the previous four weeks.

In-person bingo remained more common than its digital equivalent. Participation was 6.3% in physical settings and 2.5% online.

Bingo differs from many other gambling activities because of its social format. Games may be played in dedicated venues, community settings or organised events where conversation and group participation are part of the experience.

The rules are straightforward. Players purchase one or more cards containing numbers and mark them as the numbers are called. Prizes may be awarded for completing a line, pattern or full card.

Online bingo recreates this format through automated cards, scheduled rooms and chat features. Digital versions may also run more quickly and offer several rooms at the same time.

Although individual bingo cards may appear inexpensive, purchasing multiple cards across repeated games can increase the total session cost. Players should consider the full amount spent during the event rather than focusing only on the price of one card.

Are Online Casinos and Slots Popular in Ireland?

Online casinos and slot games have a high advertising profile, but they did not enter the top five when popularity was measured across the overall adult population.

The ESRI found that 6.2% of adults had played slot machines during the previous four weeks, while 3.7% had participated in casino gambling. Online participation accounted for 3.3% for slots and 3.1% for casino games.

However, these products were much more common among respondents classified as experiencing problem gambling. Within that group, 42% had used slot machines and 21.9% had participated in casino gambling during the four-week period.

This distinction is important. A product can be less widely used across the general population while accounting for more intensive activity among a smaller group of players.

The World Health Organization identifies electronic gambling machines and casino games as products frequently associated with a higher risk of harm. Their rapid play, continuous availability and short intervals between bets and results can support repeated spending.

How Gambling Regulation in Ireland Changed in 2026

Ireland’s regulatory system entered an important new phase in 2026.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, commonly known as the GRAI. The legislation provides a framework for licensing betting, gaming and certain lottery activities, alongside rules covering advertising, consumer protection, inducements and the protection of children.

The licensing system is being introduced in stages. The first GRAI licences, covering remote betting and betting intermediaries, commenced on 1 July 2026. Other parts of the regulatory framework continue to be implemented on a phased basis.

Under the new framework:

• Gambling participation is restricted to people aged 18 and over.
• Remote operators must verify a customer’s age before opening an account.
• Licensed operators face stronger advertising and consumer-protection requirements.
• Credit cards and payment methods funded by credit cards are prohibited for gambling.
• The legislation provides for a National Gambling Exclusion Register.
• Targeted inducements designed to encourage continued gambling are restricted.

The Act defines a child as anyone under 18, while its remote-account provisions require an applicant to have reached 18 and to complete the required verification process.

GRAI guidance also outlines advertising protections, including restrictions on television and radio gambling advertising between 5:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and rules intended to prevent under-18s from being targeted. These obligations apply as relevant operators become licensed under the phased system.

Gambling Responsibly in Ireland

Most people who gamble do not necessarily experience severe harm, but the risks should not be underestimated.

The ESRI estimated that 3.3% of Irish adults—approximately one in 30—met its threshold for problem gambling. A further 7.1% showed moderate evidence of gambling-related problems, while another 15% reported at least one negative behaviour or experience connected with gambling.

Practical boundaries can reduce risk:

1. Set a fixed loss limit before starting.
2. Use only money left after essential household costs.
3. Set a time limit as well as a spending limit.
4. Never borrow money or use gambling to solve debt.
5. Do not chase losses.
6. Avoid gambling while upset, intoxicated or under financial pressure.
7. Take a break when gambling stops feeling like entertainment.

Warning signs can include hiding gambling activity, borrowing to continue, repeatedly exceeding a budget, thinking constantly about bets or attempting to recover losses with larger stakes.

Free and confidential support is available through Ireland’s National Gambling Helpline on 1800 936 725, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. GRAI also directs people affected by their own gambling—or someone else’s—to specialist support services.

FAQs

What is the most popular type of gambling in Ireland?

Lotteries are the most widely used gambling activity. In the ESRI survey, 55.9% of adults had spent money on a lottery during the previous four weeks, considerably more than any other category.

What are the five most popular gambling activities in Ireland?

Based on adult participation, the top five are lotteries, scratch cards, horse and greyhound betting, sports betting and bingo.

Is online gambling allowed in Ireland in 2026?

Licensed online betting is permitted. The GRAI’s first remote-betting licences commenced on 1 July 2026, while the wider licensing system is being introduced in phases. Consumers should verify that an operator holds the authorization required for the services it provides in Ireland.

How old must someone be to gamble in Ireland?

A person must be at least 18 years old. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 prohibits licensed businesses from permitting children to participate in gambling and requires age verification for remote accounts.

Are casino games among Ireland’s five most popular gambling activities?

No. Casino gambling recorded a participation rate of 3.7%, while slot machines recorded 6.2%. Bingo ranked fifth with 8.4%. Casino and slot products may nevertheless generate more frequent or intensive play among some consumers.

Can gambling be used to make money?

Gambling should not be treated as a dependable income source. Every commercial game is structured so that the operator has an advantage or retains part of the money staked over time. Individual wins are possible, but losses are uncertain and can accumulate quickly.

Final Thoughts

Ireland’s gambling market combines long-established traditions with rapidly developing digital services. Lottery draws and scratch cards remain the most widely used products, supported by extensive retail availability. Horse racing and sports betting retain strong connections with Irish sporting life, while bingo continues to attract players through its accessible and social format.

The evidence also challenges the assumption that online casinos dominate Irish gambling. They are highly visible, but participation remains lower than for lotteries, racing, sports betting and bingo. Their faster pace may, however, create greater risks for people who struggle to control their gambling.

As Ireland’s new regulatory system develops throughout 2026, licensing, age verification and consumer protections are becoming increasingly important. Regardless of the activity, gambling should remain an occasional entertainment expense—not a way to earn money, escape financial difficulty or recover previous losses.