# Which are the best betting sites in Ireland, and how do the main bookmakers compare?

> Betting sites on the GRAI licence register, compared on 19 published criteria. Method, register status and tools, with a source and date on every figure.

Source: https://bookieledger.com/
Updated: 2026-11-07

Bookie Ledger compares betting sites that appear on the licence register of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). Each site receives a Ledger score of up to 100 across five groups of published criteria. On 7 November 2026 this preview shows no scores, because the register entries and operator pages have not yet been checked.

## What is the short answer?

No operator can be named as highest-scoring on 7 November 2026, because no score has been calculated yet. A winner without a published criterion would not be a fact.

The method comes first. A betting site is considered only if the GRAI register lists it. It is then scored on 19 criteria taken from its own public pages.

The score reflects what an operator publishes, not odds, speed of payment or service quality.

**Bottom line:** the order of the table is set by the published score, and the score does not exist until the checks are done.

## Where should you start?

Three routes cover the questions that bring people here.

- [Check a licence](https://bookieledger.com/licence/): where the register is, what a licence number looks like and what proves nothing.
- [Compare](https://bookieledger.com/compare/): the ranking, the criterion rankings and the matrix.
- [Understand the terms](https://bookieledger.com/terms/): odds formats, each-way, Rule 4 and how operators apply them.

The [ranking page](https://bookieledger.com/compare/best-betting-sites-ireland/) holds the full method for the Ledger score.

**Bottom line:** start with the licence check if you are unsure whether a site is allowed to take bets from Ireland.

## What does the register show?

The research note of 6 November 2026 records the register state as follows.

- Last updated on the register: 20 October 2026.
- Business-to-consumer licensees: 40, holding 42 licences.
- Licence types: 37 remote betting (RB), 4 remote betting intermediary (RBI) and 1 in-person betting (IPB).
- Licence term: 3 years.

Remote betting licences are issued by GRAI from 1 July 2026. Licences for online casino, slots and poker are not yet available, so this site covers betting only.

These figures are rechecked on the day of publication.

**Bottom line:** the register is young and is updated irregularly, so every page shows the date it was checked.

## How is the Ledger score built?

The score adds points for 19 criteria in five groups. The weights add up to 100 and are fixed in version 1.0.

**Ledger score weights, version 1.0 · Source: Bookie Ledger methodology · Checked 7 November 2026**

| Group | Weight (points) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| L Licence and transparency | 20 | Licence number shown, licensee named, terms with a version or date |
| R Safer-gambling controls | 25 | Deposit limits, time-out, self-exclusion, time reminders, link to Irish help |
| P Payments and withdrawals | 20 | Methods from a list of eight, withdrawal limits, processing time, fees |
| M Markets and product | 20 | Menu categories, in-play, streaming, cash out |
| S Support and complaints | 15 | Channels, opening hours, complaints route |

A criterion that is not published, or that could not be verified, scores 0. That is a statement of what the public page shows on the day, not a verdict on the service.

**Bottom line:** up to 100 points, five groups, published weights, recalculated from the same data on the date shown.

## What does this site not do?

- It does not place bets, open accounts or test services.
- It does not publish odds, promo codes or bonus amounts.
- It does not describe any operator as approved or verified by GRAI. It writes that an entry is listed on the register on a given date.
- It carries no reader reviews and no named reviewers. Pages are signed by the editorial team.

There are no links marked Ad in this preview. When affiliate links are added, each will carry the Ad label, and the wording of the disclosure will be confirmed by the site owner first.

**Bottom line:** the site compares published information and nothing else.

## Where to go next

- [Operator profiles](https://bookieledger.com/operator/): what each profile covers and which brands are candidates.
- [Data and tools](https://bookieledger.com/data/): tables, change logs and calculators.
- [Payments](https://bookieledger.com/payments/) and [withdrawals](https://bookieledger.com/withdrawals/): deposit methods and what to know before asking for money back.
- [Sports and markets](https://bookieledger.com/sport/): how the menu categories are compared.

**Bottom line:** each hub lists only pages that exist and states what has not been checked.