Full Guide to Legal Gambling Age in Ireland

Legal Gambling Age

/ 12 min

Before you access an online or offline casino, you must inform yourself of the legal gambling age stated within the legislative framework of the Republic of Ireland. Rest assured, the CasinoAlpha Ireland experts researched all the legal matters you need to know and created a guide to help you through!

Come along to see how the gambling age is regulated in Ireland and which are the institutions that provide its legitimacy!

Be aware

Underage gambling can take a toll on the physical and mental state of the individual. Inform yourself beforehand about its devastating effects!

How old do you have to be to gamble?

Province Online casino age limit Land-based casino age limit
Leinster 18 18
Ulster 18 18
Munster 18 18
Connaught 18 18

Generally speaking, in order to be able to gamble in the Republic of Ireland (at either brick-and-mortar or online casino), you must be 18 years of age. Be aware, however, that there might be some cases when a land-based casino might require you to be 21 to be able to participate in any of their activities.

Be aware

Any Irish player will be asked to submit personal documents that attest their legal gambling age before they are allowed to access several features of the top Ireland casinos.

Effects of gambling at an early age

Effects of gambling at an early age

Underage gambling can have extreme repercussions upon the player, with significant changes in both the physical and mental health.

Important

According to multiple studies, people who start gambling young are more prone to developing additional addictions that relate to alcohol and substance abuse.

Moreover, since addiction can take a toll on mental health (even so since the child’s behaviour and personality are still in continuous development), there is an increased risk of severe and long-term depression.

The actual reasons why people get into casino games at an early age are diverse and highly depend on the environment they were raised in.

One of the most common motifs is the existence of a parent who gambles and, so, the child picks up their behaviour. Yet, we must also take notice of the social environment, since many teenagers can be heavily influenced by the group they pertain, since they can be pressured to adhere to some activities (no matter the consequences) in order to keep their status in that particular group.

Tips

This is the reason why it is crucial to notice the first signs of such condition in children and take immediate measures against gambling addiction, in order to impede its rapid onet along with its devastating effects.

Where does addiction start?

Where does addiction start

Gambling can quickly become a compulsive activity, especially if the player involved is a minor. Soon enough, addiction sets in and compels the youngster to go through extreme lengths to find a way of acquiring the funds needed for casino investments without being caught.

Of course, there are also some behavioural cues that could reveal a predisposition to developing such a condition.

What are the signs your child is gambling?

CasinoAlpha Ireland has identified a couple of signs that might indicate that your child is gambling:

  • Frequent and unjustified requests for money;
  • Playing and committing to games that imply certain purchases;
  • Unexpected intake of money or, on the contrary, sudden losses of funds;
  • Successive lies regarding its source of cash or its daily investments;
  • Reluctance to engage in activities common for their age or events that once brought them joy;
  • A significant drop in interest when it comes to daily activities and school assignments;
  • Spending a great deal of time watching gaming and gambling-related videos.

Recommendation

Obviously, these are only some of the signs that may indicate underage gambling. In order to give a broader idea of how to prevent child gambling addiction, the CasinoAlpha Ireland experts created a guide with specialized advice as well as contact details of institutions which deal with such conditions.

Other games subjected to the legal gambling age

Other games subjected to the legal gambling age

We’ve previously talked about the games that you can find in online or offline casinos. How about those which you can play directly on social media?

For example, in point of Slots, there are multiple variants Irish players may access just by having a Facebook account.

Even though this social media platform imposes a minimum of 13 years of age to create an account (with parental approval). Nonetheless, users can have access to these Facebook casino games.

This is the reason why it is important for parents to employ as many responsible gaming programmes as possible, to restrict the child’s access to such sites!

Tips

There are plenty of apps that can help impede gambling addiction. The CasinoAlpha expert team has made a thorough research and created a comprehensive guide to help you further.

Irish gambling regulatory bodies

Irish gambling regulatory bodies

According to the Department of Justice, the Republic of Ireland has yet to craft a Gambling Regulator that will work independently along with its corresponding legal framework.

The main institution that verifies and certifies casinos in Ireland is the Revenue Commissioners. Upon request, a thorough verification of the respective gambling platform will be pursued and, if the casino truly meets all requirements imposed by this institution, it will receive the Irish Betting License.

Tips

CasinoAlpha Ireland always puts your security first and opts only for licensed online casinos Ireland!

The legal framework for casino-related activities is also provided by the Gaming and Lotteries Act 2019.

The Malta Gaming Authority in Ireland

The Malta Gaming Authority in IrelanD

The MGA is one of the main authorities that regulate the online Irish market. This means that it confers licenses upon solid and extensive verifications.

In order to verify if the user has the legal gambling age to play at that respective casino, the MGA imposes a strict KYC check to verify the player’s identity. The user will have to upload a series of documents which may include:

  • ID or driver’s license;
  • Bank statement;
  • Utility bank.

Recommendation

Make sure to follow the instructions provided by customer support regarding the KYC check! Otherwise, the verification process might last a lot longer, and you won’t be able to access any of the casino features.

Other gambling authorities that operate in Ireland

Other gambling authorities that operate in Ireland

Besides the MGA, there are other institutions that operate within the online gambling market and exercise their legal framework towards casinos that wish to obtain a proper license.

Some of the most renowned ones are:

  1. United Kingdom Gambling Commission;
  2. Gibraltar gambling license.

Tips

You will find details about licenses in each of our casino reviews!

What happens if you get caught gambling under 18 in Ireland?

What happens if you get caught gambling under 18 in Ireland

First and foremost, be aware that a breach of any provision stipulated in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 2019 is considered an offence and is punishable by law (this also includes the legal gambling age).

The Revenue Commissioners work together with the An Garda Síochána in taking appropriate measures and condemning those who resort to illegal practices. Both the player and the casino may bear legal consequences if there is such a case of underage gambling.

How is the player affected?

Usually, if a minor attempts to play at a casino, it will be asked to leave (in case of brick-and-mortar casinos) or its account will be permanently closed (in case of a gambling platform).

However, if the situation escalates and the police steps in, the player might receive substantial fines and imprisonment (according to the severity degree of the case).

Be aware

Online gambling platforms have complex Know Your Customer checks that attest the legal gambling age of the player. The assistance team who performs these checks is very meticulous and doesn’t feel reluctant to immediately close any account if the owner is found to be underaged.

How is the casino affected?

Generally speaking, casinos should have extensive methods of determining the age of any player who crosses their premises (be they online or land-based). One of these methods is the online KYC check, while the other is identification on the spot, for brick-and-mortar casinos.

If such an online or offline site is found to have permitted the entrance of a minor and, thus, contributed to underage gambling, the penalties include license revocation as well as fines or imprisonment.

References

Ioana Constantinescu
Author Ioana Constantinescu Author & Editor at Casino alpha

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