A review of bookmakers operating online gambling sites

Here at gambling.ie we are constantly reviewing all the online gambling sites which can be accessed in Ireland, so that we can offer the best advice possible to potential new online gambling fans. In this article we will concentrate on reviewing the online gambling sites operated by the big bookmakers rather than the small specialist online casino sites that have recently come on stream. There are two primary reasons why we have decided to take this approach. The first reason is that it is the online gambling sites operated by the bookmakers which provide the most comprehensive gambling opportunities on the one site, with easy access to both sports gambling and casino gambling using just one online account. It is also these big online gambling sites which tend to look very similar and are therefore more difficult to choose between. All the gambling sites we will be looking at and which are operated by the big bookmakers have one thing in common. They all started as exclusively an online sports gambling site, but have then expanded to include casino gambling as part of the overall package. That is why they have become popular with those who prefer to register with just one site and manage just one online gambling account. At gambling.ie we understand why some people prefer to use just one online gambling provider, but we should also point out that there are disadvantages to that approach. All sports gambling enthusiasts will know that not all the bookmakers offer the same odds, so access to more than one sports gambling site can improve your chances of getting the best odds. It is also true that using two online casino sites inevitably increases the range of casino games you can play, so our advice has always been to register with at least two online gambling sites to get the best deal.

Visit any high street in Ireland and two big bookmakers will inevitably attract your attention, so let’s have a look at one of these, namely Paddy Power. In Ireland Paddy Power have two big advantages over their rivals in terms of brand awareness. First of all Paddy Power are the only one of the big bookmakers on our recommended list to be based in Ireland, and equally importantly they have the biggest high street presence in terms of the number of betting shops they operate. If that was not enough to ensure that the Paddy Power brand is recognised by almost everybody in Ireland they have also developed a reputation for some very unusual marketing methods involving some stunts which have not always been well received. Whether you approve of some of their marketing stunts or not, there is no doubt that Paddy Power are a very professional company, with an excellent reputation for their customer’s privacy and security. The odds at the Paddy Power sports gambling site as usually competitive, and the Paddy Power casino has all the usual features we want from an online casino and a good range of both traditional casino games and slots.

The second major bookmaker with a big presence on our high streets in Ireland is of course Ladbrokes. UK stock market observers will know that Ladbrokes have recently merged with Coral and will as a result undoubtedly be forced to offload some of the combined betting shop estate of the two companies. How this will affect their betting shops in Ireland we will just have to wait and see, but it is unlikely to affect their online gambling site. Irish sports gambling fans who follow the GAA sports will find that both the Ladbrokes and the Paddy Power sports gambling sites offer comprehensive coverage of football and hurling. The Ladbrokes casino gambling site is also as good as any, with poker fans in particular praising the Ladbrokes online poker site.

Talking of poker there is another of the big bookmakers with a good reputation among poker fans, and that is the Bwin online gambling site. Probably better known in Ireland for their sponsorship of two of the most successful football clubs in the world, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the Austrian stock market listed company Bwin has established a good reputation as an online gambling site operator with both their sports gambling opportunities and a good range of casino games on their casino gambling site. There are several poker games ideal for beginners as well as several more cerebral casino games such as backgammon and mah-jong.

Also beginning to establish a good reputation for offering poker games suitable for new poker players is Betfred. Again Betfred is probably better known for their sports gambling site than their online casino, but they offer all the usual traditional casino games and an excellent range of slots all of which are available in both download and instant format. The Betfred casino also caters specifically for bingo fans, operating a free bingo room and a range of bingo games. Sports gambling fans are also enthusiastic about the Betfred sports gambling site, particularly the comprehensive in-play sports gambling options offered by Betfred.

Whereas Betfred are beginning to expand their presence on the high street, big online bookmakers such as Bwin and 888 Holdings are proof that it is not essential when it comes to offering online gambling. The 888 brand has been successfully established primarily through sports sponsorships over a wide range of sports and sporting events, and it has to be said that the 888 online gambling site is as good as any, both in terms of the sports gambling features and the casino gambling games.

Last but not least in our review of online gambling sites operated by the big bookmakers we come to the Bet365 site. There is no doubt that Bet365 is a hugely successful company which has expanded steadily over the past few years. In spite of their increasing success and growing reputation and turnover Bet365 surprisingly remains a family owned business. Irish sports gambling fans will also be pleased to discover that Bet365 not only cover the GAA sports but also Irish greyhound racing on a daily basis.

All of the bookmakers we have reviewed offer both sports gambling and casino gambling on the same site, but we still recommend our readers to use more than one.