Irish Race Wagering

Betting on horse and greyhound racing is popular in Ireland. There are over 2,000 races held annually. Horse Racing Ireland was established in 2001 to regulate horse racing. Its subsidiary, Tote Ireland, runs tote betting services.

The greyhound industry is regulated by the state-owned Irish Greyhound Board, which licenses 15 of Ireland's dog tracks for public funding and taxation. The legislative framework for dog racing was set in 1958 with the Greyhound Industry Act.

Tote Ireland introduced ontrack computerized betting terminals in 1987 and self-serve touch screen betting terminals in 1999. The company introduced hand-held betting terminals at major racetracks to enable "at-table" and "walk-around" betting. In 2006, Tote Ireland installed wireless WLan networks at racetracks throughout the country to enhance the capabilities of the terminals.

In October 2008, the Ministry of Finance announced that it will double the tax on bookmakers’ turnover from 1% to 2%.