From card games to casinos: popular ways Irishmen test their luck
The Irish gambling market is big business. In 2025, gambling revenues were expected to reach more than €2.5 billion, with growth largely driven by an explosion in popularity of mobile gaming and digital platforms. Looking to stake a wager and try your luck yourself? From beginner-friendly video slots and simple spins of the roulette wheel to poker variants calling for more than a modicum of skill and strategy, there are plenty of casino favourites out there to consider. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most common casino classics you can turn your hand to today.
Baccarat: a card table classic
There’s a big question mark as to when baccarat was first invented. Some claim that this comparing card game was invented at some point during the nineteenth century, while others suggest it’s in fact centuries older than that. Today, it’s arguably one of the biggest casino games on the planet, and since the 1960s, has been popularised as James Bond’s card game of choice. While it’s been a staple of traditional casino houses since their inception, it’s since become a favourite with online players looking to enjoy an easy wager and big rewards.
Baccarat is one of the easiest casino card games to wrap your head around, with three possible outcomes to each game. The player wins, the banker wins, or the game results in a tie. Players bet on one of two hands, the one they think will total closest to nine. You can keep things straightforward with simple bets, or make life more interesting by placing a wager on so-called “pairs” or “tie” bets. While a lucky streak will earn you a small commission, there are some serious gains to be had if you stick it out with patience at the baccarat table. In 2025, UFC CEO Dana White walked home with a whopping $1.2 million at the baccarat table after trying his luck at the Power Slap 13 event at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Poker: endless variations and epic payouts
Some casino favourites are a game of chance, while others command some serious skill. Poker, in all of its variations, is of the latter variety. Whether you’re a relative beginner looking to test your mettle with a game of Texas Hold’em or want to introduce some hard-earned strategy into the mix with a round of five-card draw, poker promises big thrills and even bigger payouts.
Nowadays, the top online casinos Ireland has to offer provide a healthy suite of poker variants to choose from. Virtual poker has been at the forefront of internet casinos since their inception back in the late 1990s, but it’s enjoyed a renaissance in recent years thanks to the explosion in popularity of live casino experiences. As well as being able to play alongside highly-skilled rival players for a slice of the action, the more experienced poker aficionado can now take advantage of online tournaments, with jackpot-sized payouts and real-life perks and prizes. Become a regular player with enough of a winning streak behind you, and you can also rake in exclusive VIP benefits that are usually the preserve of brick-and-mortar establishments.
Roulette: a casino staple with simple rules
Few games evoke the spirit of the casino as roulette. If you’re looking to keep things simple, simply take your pick and stake your chips on black or red. Feeling like Lady Luck is on your side? Throw all your money behind a single number. A gambler’s favourite since its introduction to Parisian casino houses in the late 1700s, you’d be hard pushed to find a gambling destination online or otherwise without at least one roulette wheel ready and waiting for a spin.
The appeal of roulette is its accessibility, with simple gameplay mechanics and odds that are easy to understand. Straight-up bets favour the beginner, with gamblers tasked with betting on a single number with odds of 35:1. Split bets, where players are tasked with betting on two adjacent numbers, are a little more lucrative, with odds of 17:1. Simplified outside bets cater to first-time gamblers and high rollers alike, with Red or Black and Odd or Even bets yielding seriously big returns if you’ve the stake to part with.
Craps: straightforward play and simple odds
Craps is thought to have originated in the United States during the 19th century as a simplified form of the card game Hazard. Back then, Craps went by the name of Pass, earning its current name during the 1800s and becoming a staple of casino houses by the end of the century. In its standard form, players bet on the outcome of a dice roll, with a marked table used to facilitate a range of available bets.
The person rolling the dice is referred to as the shooter, with a range of bets available for those looking to place a wager. The overall goal of craps is to roll a specific number with two dice, then roll the same outcome again before a seven is rolled. A fast-paced favourite in casino houses for decades, craps has now become a staple of online platforms. Thanks to the rise of live dealer experiences, the thrill of the craps table can be enjoyed at home, any time. There’s a variety of betting odds to take advantage of, ranging from beginner-friendly Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets to more lucrative outcomes geared toward the high roller.
Online slots: small wagers, big jackpot potential
For the novice gambler or those looking to stake a small wager, online slots are the obvious choice. A staple of many an online casino, video slots are not only accessible when it comes to gameplay mechanics, but they’re also the most affordable to play. Single wagers are small, with no need to commit a sizeable bankroll to a single round of play. However, ultimate payouts can be huge, with multiplier symbols and progressive jackpots opening up the floor to life-changing sums of money.
For many first-time users of online casino platforms, video slots are the first port of call. They’re ultimately a game of chance, requiring no expert knowledge or strategy to come up trumps from a spin of the reels. Any established operator will offer dozens of individual slots to choose from, ranging from original titles created by leading gaming developers to licensed titles inspired by blockbuster movies and popular television shows. In the UK, online slots remain a key driver of the online gambling sector, with UK operators raking in revenues of £4.2 billion from slots alone from 2024 to 2025.