It seems that bookmakers in the UK have unsuccessfully tried to circumvent the restrictions placed on the fixed odds betting terminals by introducing new games that require a betting slip to be placed over the counter. This has no effect on Irish casino players as bookmakers have no FOBTs but it is interesting that one of the named bookmakers was Paddy Power who do, of course, operate outside Irish shores. There are plenty of options for UK players as unlike in Ireland there are casinos in most major cities and failing that there are just as many online casinos as there are in our own country. It is one of the regrets of many folk that when it comes to a true land based casino Ireland is lagging behind the rest of Europe so without FOBTs and brick and mortar casinos the only option for Irish casino players is to play at an online casino but actually with the quality and choice of online casinos this is not really an inconvenience. Casinos.ie tries to evaluate online casinos which are available in Ireland and make recommendations of those that they consider the best for Irish casino players. Everybody will have their own opinions about what makes a good casino which is why it is impossible to state categorically that there is an absolute best but by listing 8, all of which are correctly licensed and operated players should be able to find one that suits.
The important thing with any online casino is that it is legally allowed to operate in Ireland and that is achieved by having been issued a license by a reputable body in Europe. There are several of these but the best known are Malta, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Alderney in the Channel Islands. All the listed online casinos at Casinos.ie have such a license. Also important is the casino software which is being used as it is this which ultimately will decide whether you enjoy the experience of playing or not. Online casino software is a growing business and whereas just a few years ago there were only a handful of suppliers today there are plenty. They do not all have the same range of casino games and several concentrate solely on casino slots sometimes with as few as 10 or 12 games but this does not make them a poor alternative. In fact there are small casino software suppliers that have some really excellent games but it is up to the online casino to select the casino software so the only choice the player has is to decide which online casino has the best software. There are online casinos such as Paddy Power Casino that have selected one supplier and stick with them and rely on them to continually produce new and interesting games. Others such No Bonus Casino prefer to use a selection of casino software running simultaneously on the site which does give a greater choice to the player. The online casino that is believed to offer the most casino software is CasinoLand which lists no fewer than 19 different ones so if you cannot find a casino slot to suit you there you are extremely difficult to please.
The larger casino software companies are NetEnt, Microgaming, who often use the operating name Quickfire, Playtech and Amanet and they are certainly the ones that offer the largest slots jackpots which often run into the millions of Euro. There are a number of these such as Mega Moolah™ and Mega Moolah Isis™ from Microgaming and the likes of Hall of Gods™ and Mega Fortune™ from NetEnt. Many of the online casinos listed use these software companies. There are Irish casino players that have an account with an online bookmaker such as Paddy Power and some will simply prefer to play the online casino that is offered there which is perfectly understandable but they may be missing out on something better for the sake of registering with another casino. Registration is free and there should be no need to immediately make a deposit if you want to look around first. Many of the casinos listed allow free casino play for players to try out games before committing to real money play.
Nearly all online casinos offer bonuses to new players in an attempt to attract them to register but these should be approached with caution to avoid disappointment. You are not going to lose out by taking a bonus but if it is thought to be free money then think again. These bonuses which are generally deposit matching bonuses are those in which the online casino promises to match the size of your first ever deposit not your casino account. This can even be extended to second and third deposits in some cases. The snag is that this money is placed into a different account from your own cash and although it is accessible to play casino games with it cannot be withdrawn until certain conditions have been met. These conditions usually involve wagering the amount a number of times on certain casino games which is giving the casino every chance of winning it back before it needs to be paid out. As stated, there is nothing wrong with these bonuses as long as you realise the limitations.
Possible a better bet is at No Bonus Casino where there are no bonuses as such but instead there is cash back and not just for new players but for every player on every deposit they make into their online casino account. The promotion works quite simply and says that any player who makes a deposit not their account on any given day and manages to lose all of it on the same day by playing any of the casino games will get 10% refunded the very next day. This cash back really is cash as it is place directly into the playing account of the player making it available to continue playing with or it can even be withdrawn if that is the preferred option.