Match.Center Ireland – For your best bookmaker match!
We don’t give high ratings to just anyone. Our experts evaluate bookmakers based on merit, using a strict system. This ranking includes all legal bookmakers in the country, based on betting lines, for objective assessment. Below we’ll explain how the ranking process works.
Bookmakers often receive low scores from us for one of the following reasons:
- We act in the best interest of users, which is why there are no paid ratings in our rankings;
- We understand how bookmakers operate in different countries and focus on best practices, which is why our requirements are strict;
- We focus on betting products, so the presence of casinos, bingo, or lotteries does not earn bookmakers additional points.
Our nine criteria are divided into three categories: Technology and Products, Offers and Payments, and UX and Support. Each criterion is rated from 0 to 10, and the average score forms the bookmaker rankings. If a site is recognised as a leader in one of the categories, it receives a special achievement.
Next, we will explain how we evaluate each category and provide examples of outstanding bookmakers in Ireland.
Technology & Product
Here we analyse the quality of the bookmaker’s product and the variety of betting options: what the site offers, what features it supports and what odds can be expected.
Events and markets
We calculate the number of sports available for betting, the number of pre-match markets for popular games, and the margin on major markets, such as totals in football. A score of 10 means more than 28 sports, over 1,000 markets, and a margin of no more than 3%.
We use a clear system for scoring, taking into account the number of sports offered and the margin size (details are provided in the screenshot).
Market size does not always reflect its quality. For example, some bookmakers offer numerous bets on the exact score of a match but only one or two options for “Over/Under.” While the number of bets is large, we do not consider this a quality market since “Over/Under” bets are more popular. Therefore, we consider both the quantity of bets and their relevance.
Here’s an example of how we assess the quality of the betting markets offered by bookmakers in Ireland.
In the Irish rankings, not only the popular Bet365 received high marks for its betting line, but also the lesser-known Novibet. Both offer bets on 28+ sports, numerous markets, and competitive odds on top football matches with a margin of around 4-5%.
Live streaming
The key indicator of a quality live service is live streaming. In 2024, all bookmakers offer In-Play betting, so it’s difficult to evaluate them based on the number of bets or markets. However, not all companies, even major ones, provide a wide selection of streams. The variety of streams is a sign that a bookmaker cares about its customers.
The more sports streams available on the bookmaker’s site and app, the higher their rating. We consider the presence of streams for popular leagues like the English Premier League or NBA, and the access conditions: whether registration, a positive balance, or placing a bet within 24 hours is required to watch. Additionally, we award a point for providing stream schedules and graphics, even if there’s no video. This is fair, as it enhances the service.
In Ireland, Ladbrokes, Coral, and Bet365 are the leaders in online streaming, receiving the highest ratings. These bookmakers regularly broadcast horse racing, greyhound racing, NBA, European football leagues, as well as rare sports tournaments.
Mobile apps
Even a good app loses its value if the bookmaker itself falls short. We understand that evaluating the app separately from the overall experience can be challenging. Therefore, we pay attention to it in our reviews, while in the rankings, we simply note its availability: 5 points for apps for Android and iOS.
The situation is similar to that of live streaming: the development and updating of applications is a labour-intensive and costly process. The availability of apps indicates the bookmaker’s desire to attract more customers and streamline the betting process.
We are against placing Android and iOS logos on a site if they merely link to the website via a browser, even if they appear to be “mobile apps.” We check these links to ensure that they actually launch the app.
Offers & Payments
Bonuses and the ability to withdraw winnings bring joy to everyone. In this section, we assess their quality by individually examining the available payment methods, as well as the bonuses offered to both new customers and loyal bettors.
Payment systems
We assign one point for each accepted deposit method, as this broadens the options available to customers and serves as a strong indicator of the platform’s quality. While it’s true that you might only use one or two methods in practice, our experience shows that the top bookmakers support a wide range of options, allowing potential clients to transition to real customers swiftly.
We assess the number of methods with a strict approach. For instance, all standard bank cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) earn just 1 point, rather than 3. Why is that? We believe the specific debit card you use to fund your betting account is of little significance; it remains a bank account, just a piece of plastic in your wallet, along with your financial information stored in the bookmaker’s system.
The same principle applies to other methods, such as electronic wallets (like Skrill, Neteller, etc.), where you get one point and an additional point for mobile payments and another for cryptocurrencies (which are not allowed in all countries). As a result, it is quite difficult to score 10 points for payment systems in the Match.Center rating.
The Irish bookmaker William Hill received 10 points for supporting payment systems. It accepts money through all legal methods and provides detailed instructions for making deposits on its website. However, in our Spanish ranking, William Hill only received 6 points for payment options, as the selection there is significantly smaller.
Bonuses for new customers
You should take advantage of all the bonuses you can legally access; there’s no financial incentive to “stay loyal” to a single bookmaker. However, remember that some bonuses are easier to obtain than others, which is reflected in our ratings.
A larger bonus amount doesn’t automatically translate to a higher rating. For example, if a £30 bonus includes £10 for a casino and £20 for a sportsbook with complex wagering requirements, it may only receive 1 point despite its attractive appearance.
A no deposit bonus of £10 or more earns the highest points. Additionally, a bookmaker that provides multiple welcome bonuses with favourable conditions, such as distinct bonuses for sports and horse racing bets, can also achieve a full score of 10 points.
We don’t evaluate casino bonuses in the same manner. While we highlight their availability, they won’t influence our rating significantly. However, they can negatively affect the score, particularly if there’s a combined offer requiring you to place bets as well as play slots, which is a disadvantage. We believe that sports betting involves more intellect compared to casino games, as decisions in casino games do not alter the long-term probabilities of success; these are dictated solely by the RTP setting.
Bonuses for existing customers
Bookmakers typically emphasise bonuses for new customers in their advertising efforts to broaden their appeal. However, for users who already have accounts and bet regularly, it’s far more crucial to have bonuses that can be claimed repeatedly.
Bookmakers offering Free Bet clubs earn the highest scores in our ratings. These promotions allow you to receive a Free Bet daily or weekly based on your betting activity. In a well-designed Free Bet club, you can earn bonuses even if your bets win.
We also award points for loyalty programs, regular enhanced odds on single and accumulator bets, as well as Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) and extra places for racing enthusiasts.
In Ireland, there are dozens of bookmakers actively competing for customers. We have highlighted 10bet, Novibet, and Quinnbet as exemplary clubs for free betting. On these platforms, you can receive weekly bonuses based on your turnover.
UX & Support
At some point, most clients will reach out to customer support or review the rules. This typically occurs when they are dissatisfied with a bet settlement or have not received the expected bonus. It’s crucial that, at this moment, the bookmaker provides all the necessary explanations in a timely, polite, and comprehensive manner. We rigorously evaluate the level and quality of service offered to customers in these situations.
Registration and customer support
Creating an account on a legal betting site requires more than just providing a username and email. Bookmakers are legally obligated to request a significant amount of information. The best bookmakers ensure that this process is both transparent and straightforward. We evaluate how the bookmaker organises the sign-up procedure step by step.
Customer support should be accessible to potential customers as well, not just those with existing accounts. We assess the available communication channels, whether you need to navigate through a live chat bot to reach an operator, if the support team is available 24/7, and whether you can contact them with a single click.
Legal information
Match.Center exclusively evaluates legal betting sites, and this information should be clearly visible to indicate whether a betting site operates legally. We verify that the links are clickable and that there is comprehensive information on how to settle bets for different markets and sports
Ease of navigation
While ease of navigation is often regarded as a subjective criterion, we have aimed to assess it objectively.
Additionally, we consider the navigation tools that facilitate quick bet discovery, such as search functions, favourites, and customisable smartphone notifications.
If you can see everything at a glance, we think the platform’s interface is easy to use, even for newcomers, and this feature deserves a score of 10.
What we don’t consider
- Online reviews. We recognise that glowing reviews for bookmakers are rare. Therefore, we’ve chosen to focus on evaluating the bookmaker’s product itself, rather than relying on praise from bots or complaints from disgruntled customers. We trust our own experience more.
- Reputation in the market. This concept is too vague for us to measure. Additionally, size doesn’t always correlate with quality. There are smaller niche bookmakers that treat their clients like royalty, and there are large corporations that, over time, shift focus from sports betting to casinos.
- Partnerships. In the Match.Center ratings, betting sites are evaluated using the same criteria, whether they are our partners or not.
- Bonus restrictions for white-label networks. When a company operates multiple betting sites with bonus programs, the terms and conditions may specify that you can only claim one bonus from the company, not from each site. We don’t favour these terms, but since we are rating bonuses—not company policies—we encourage you to pay attention to this detail.
So what are the final scores?
We have analysed all nine parameters and compiled the final ranking. For your convenience, here is a list of the ten largest legal bookmakers in Ireland.
We regularly update our ratings. The most frequent changes occur in the scores for live streaming, bonuses, and payment methods.
