Regulated online betting turnover in Ireland exceeded €1bn in a single quarter for the first time, underlining the continued shift from retail betting to digital wagering.
Official figures show that online betting turnover subject to Ireland’s 2% Betting Duty reached more than €1.2bn in Q1 of 2026, compared with €814.8m in the previous quarter.
Traditional betting turnover moved sharply in the opposite direction, falling from €552.4m to €276.5m over the same period. The last comparable decline in retail betting turnover occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Irish Bookmakers Association said the figures reflected a continuing decline in betting shop activity and warned that further closures could follow as the market moves online. It also argued that incoming regulation from the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland could place further pressure on retail betting.
Ireland remains one of Europe’s low-tax markets for online betting. Licensed bookmakers pay a 2% Duty on stakes placed by Irish customers, while betting exchanges pay a 25% Intermediary Duty on commissions. This latest data is likely to increase debate over whether Ireland’s Betting Duty should rise.
Ann Graves, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Addiction, said the government needed to respond to the scale of online gambling and called for stricter regulation of operators, as well as higher Betting Duty on online bookmakers and casinos.
For Ireland, the figures confirm that online betting is now the dominant growth channel. The policy question is whether regulation, taxation and enforcement can keep pace with a market that is moving quickly away from traditional retail betting.
