Find Your Favourite Ireland Casinos and Resorts 2026

Ireland has no licensed casino operators in the conventional sense. The country's gaming venues operate as private members clubs under a legal framework that predates the modern casino industry, meaning there is no operator licensing system equivalent to those in the UK, Macau or the United States. That is changing under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which will introduce formal licensing for the first time. In the meantime, a small number of operators run multiple venues across the country.

British Columbia has more than 20 licensed casino venues spread across the province. The largest concentration is in the Greater Vancouver area, with additional properties on Vancouver Island, in the Interior and across the North. The venues range from large integrated resorts with hotels and entertainment facilities to smaller community gaming stops.

Ireland does not do casinos in anything like a 'resort' style, instead going for the member club model. There are a few standouts, though. 

Located on Anne's Lane just off Grafton Street in the heart of Dublin, The Sporting Emporium is widely regarded as Ireland's leading gaming club. Backed by businessman Dermot Desmond and open seven nights a week until 6am, the venue operates across three levels and focuses exclusively on live table games, with no slot machines. Blackjack, roulette, punto banco, brag and poker are all on offer, with betting limits starting at €1 and high-stakes play available across all games. The poker offering is a particular draw, with nightly cash games and a regular tournament schedule developed in partnership with Irish poker legend Padraig Parkinson.

The Carlton Club Casino opened in 2018 on O'Connell Street, occupying a building with an extraordinary entertainment history. Originally a cinema from 1915, it was rebuilt in 1938 as an art deco showpiece and later operated by MGM Studios and EMI Records before its transformation into a gaming venue. The result is one of the most visually distinctive clubs in Ireland, with a Gatsby-era interior that feels deliberately removed from the noise of one of Dublin's busiest streets. Table games cover blackjack, roulette, baccarat and three card poker, with a separate poker parlour hosting weekly cash games and tournaments. The venue opens Thursday to Monday from 9pm.

Carlton Club Casino

Carlton Club Casino Dublin Review for 2026

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The Macau Sporting Club on St Patrick's Quay is the largest gaming venue outside Dublin and the most prominent casino destination in the south of Ireland. Spread across multiple levels in the heart of Cork city, it offers roulette, blackjack, punto banco, casino hold'em and three card poker alongside a substantial slots area, a sports bar with live coverage and The Mint restaurant. Its poker room is one of the most active outside the capital, with Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Seven Card Stud cash games running nightly.

The Dublin branch of Macau Sporting Club on Aungier Street offers a more compact experience than its Cork counterpart, with tables covering blackjack, roulette, punto banco and pai gow poker. Entry is free and no formal membership process is required, making it one of the more accessible venues in the city for visitors looking for a straightforward introduction to live table gaming.

• D1 Club (Tallaght, Dublin) - modern venue with table games, slots and poker, noted for complimentary food and drinks for players
• Fitzwilliam Casino and Card Club (Dublin) - worth noting but it closed in 2019 following the Gaming and Lotteries Amendment Act, so probably not
• Gold Rush Casino - multiple smaller slots-focused locations across Dublin, Cork and Carlow, but these feel more like the amusement-style venues we already ruled out
• Emerald Casino (Dundalk) - one of the few venues outside the main cities

Gambling is best enjoyed as entertainment, not a financial strategy. If gambling is starting to feel less like fun and more like a compulsion, confidential help is available.

The Gambling Awareness Trust Ireland provides free, confidential support for anyone affected by problem gambling, including those concerned about a friend or family member. They can be reached at 1800 936 986, free of charge, seven days a week.

The GRAI's National Gambling Exclusion Register allows anyone to voluntarily restrict their access to all licensed gambling operators in Ireland. Individual venues also operate their own exclusion schemes in the meantime.

The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal or financial advice. Gambling laws, regulations and venue details in Ireland may change over time.

For official and up-to-date information, refer to the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), the statutory body responsible for regulating all gambling activity in Ireland.