While rugby is tremendously popular, Gaelic football is generally seen as Ireland’s national sport. Thanks to its fast-paced nature and high levels of skill however, it’s also become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years. Unsurprisingly, sportsbooks have been quick to capitalise on this rising popularity. Nowadays, just about every British bookie comes with a Gaelic football section included.
In this article, you’ll learn about several of the very best GAA football betting sites. We’ll also explain the rules for first-time bettors, look into the promotions you can use, and give you some top tips on turning a profit.
Gaelic football is a limited-contact sport that’s effectively a mix of football, rugby, and a few other sports. Two teams of 15 players compete against each other on a rectangular pitch, measuring anywhere from 130 to 145 metres long, and 80 to 90 metres wide. There is an H-shaped goalpost at either end of the field with a traditional football net at the bottom, and the posts extending about seven metres high.
The object of the game is to score points by either putting the ball into the net or over the crossbar through the uprights. The modern version of Gaelic football goes back to the late 1800s, although similar Irish football games have been played for centuries. Players are allowed to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact and may use their hands to slap the ball out of opponents’ hands. However, players may not:
Gaelic football is wildly popular in Ireland. Even though men’s leagues garner the most attention, there are quite a few women’s leagues that play at a high level too. Whilst it might not be quite as fashionable in the UK, Gaelic football still has a fairly strong following.
That’s particularly true in terms of generating betting action, and most British bookies offer Gaelic football gambling in their market selections. Keep reading to find out about some of the best such GAA football betting sites, the types of wagers you can make, and a few other points of interest.
Sports bettors have a solid selection of Gaelic football competitions to choose from at Betfair. You’ll find a variety of wagering options for All-Ireland Football, Longford Club Football, and Laois Club Football, as well as NFL Division 1, 2, 3, and 4. You can even earn a £5 free bet every day when you wager at least £20 on a GAA football accumulator, as long as it has at least one selection with odds of 1/2 or higher. You can also earn a free bet by placing a same-game multi at odds of 5/1 or more.
If you want to wager on the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, then William Hill is an excellent choice. Whether you want to back a favorite like Dublin to win the GAA football league outright, or go for a long shot by punting the likes of Kildare, Tipperary, or even Wexford, William Hill has you covered. On top of taking advantage of enhanced odds and free bets, you can actually follow the action yourself with William Hill’s live streaming feature.
Having been around for over 50 years, the Grosvenor brand is comfortably one of the most recognisable in Britain. This bookmaker also has a special treat for Gaelic football fans who open a new account. Pick the Gaelic football wager you want to make, and Grosvenor Sports will give you a tidy 100% Odds Boost. This bookie also offers a variety of other Gaelic football betting promotions such as Acca Boost, which gives you enhanced odds on Gaelic Football accumulators.
Being an Irish bookmaker, it should come as no surprise that Paddy Power offers an abundance of GAA betting opportunities.
In addition to All-Ireland Football, Connacht Championship Football, and Leinster Championship Football, Paddy Power also offers odds on Ulster Championship Football, Munster Championship Football, Galway Club Football, and plenty more competitions besides. Paddy Power also offers a steady stream of sports betting promotions, and a generous welcome bonus, both of which can be used on GAA.
Ladbrokes has been in the bookmaking business for over 100 years. To this day the site offers some of the best odds on GAA football competitions, and you’ll routinely find fantastic promotions to enhance your Irish football betting experience. Open a new account, place a £5 wager, and Ladbrokes will give you a generous four £5 free bets, which can naturally be used on Gaelic football. You can also take advantage of daily boosted odds on select GAA football events, and watch the action unfold for yourself with Ladbrokes’ live streaming feature.
Live betting has become immensely popular over the past several years, and it’s not hard to see why. Those who pay close attention to an ongoing game can pick up on certain things that simply can’t be analysed pre-match.
Of course, you need to actually watch the game to take full advantage of this. That’s why live bettors should ideally choose a site which offers live streaming. Not only will this let you enjoy the action, but many also offer stats, and even betting tips, to help you make informed wagers.
Even if your online sportsbook doesn’t have live streaming, there are several other ways to watch Gaelic football. You can see plenty of games on network television throughout Ireland and the UK, for example. There are also plenty of websites that broadcast matches, including:
When it comes to sheer variety of bet types, you don’t have as much choice with GAA as you would with regular football, for example. That said, you do still have a few options available to you, with these being some of the most popular.
As in other sports, while there are regular competitions throughout the Gaelic football calendar, a few key events draw most of the betting action. These are the three competitions we’d recommend focusing on first.
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is Gaelic football’s premier event. This annual GAA football championship tournament started in the 1970-71 season, with East Kerry taking the first title. Whilst Nemo Rangers have claimed the most championships with seven, Corofin GAA have won the past three straight tournaments at the time of writing.
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship consists of three rounds: the Provincial Championships, the qualifiers, and the All-Ireland phase. The 2021 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship match is scheduled to take place at Croke Park in Dublin on January 17th. Teams that are already eligible for the qualifiers include Armagh, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, and Kerry. The qualifier eligibility for a few other big teams – including Cork, Derry, and Kildare – will be decided based on the 2021 NFL competition (see below).
Officially called the Allianz National Football League, the NFL is widely regarded as the second-most prestigious Gaelic football competition. It started in 1926-27 and most teams that compete see it as a warmup to the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Kerry was the first team to hoist the Irish National Insurance Cup, and – right now – are also the last one to do so, after winning the title in 2020. In all, Kerry has won the championship 21 times, and have come second on seven occasions.
At 11/10, Dublin is currently the odds-on favorite to win NFL Division 1 in 2021, whilst Kerry is listed at 11/4. Donegal, Tyrone, and Galway are also getting a fair amount of respect from oddsmakers, while Monaghan sits at 18/1. If you prefer a big underdog, Armagh at 33/1 or Roscommon at 50/1 are both good shouts.
2021 will mark the 122nd installment of the Connacht Senior Football Championships. Six teams will vie for the J.J. Nestor Cup in 2021, which was won by Mayo in 2020. This single knock-out tournament usually features five teams from the province of Connacht, along with a team from London and one from New York. New York will not be participating in the 2021 tournament, however.
Paddy Power has both Mayo and Galway listed at 11/10 to win the 2021 edition. With their victory in 2020, Mayo has now won the tournament a whopping 47 times, including a stretch of five consecutive championships between 2011 and 2015. Galway has made the finals in each of the last five years, but they won only two of those games. After Mayo and Galway, Roscommon are the third-favourites at 5/1 to win outright. Sligo, Leitrim, and London are all long shots, sitting at 80/1, 150/1, and 250/1 respectively.
Top Gaelic football betting sites have thousands of betting options to choose from throughout the year. Run a quick Google search for ‘GAA football league 2021’ or ‘GAA football tournaments’, and you’ll get an idea of just how many competitions take place annually.
As a sports bettor, of course, you want to give yourself the best chance at coming out ahead whichever contest you wager on. Here are our top eight tips to help take your Gaelic Football betting to the next level.
Whether you’re a long-term fan of Gaelic football, or you’ve never watched a game in your life, betting on Ireland’s favourite sport has never been easier. Pre-match, in-play, and even outright markets are all numerous, and there are plenty of eligible ongoing promotions to help you out too.
To get started now, simply pick one of our recommended Gaelic football betting sites and create an account. We’d highly recommend taking advantage of their welcome offer – which will almost certainly apply to Gaelic football – to kick-start your account. After that, keep our top GAA betting tips in mind to give yourself the best chance of turning a long-term profit.
All of the top sportsbooks have excellent mobile apps available, for both iOS and Android users. With that said, the apps for Bet365 and William Hill are particularly outstanding, and make on-the-go Gaelic football betting effortless.
Absolutely. Every premium bookie allows live betting nowadays, including on Gaelic football, although you’ll find fewer bet types available compared to pre-match markets. Most sportsbooks will also allow you to cash out your live GAA bets.
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. This is the sport’s signature competition, and almost certainly draws the most betting action, both in Ireland and overseas. The National Football League and Connacht Football Championship are also extremely popular.
Some top-end sportsbooks do offer live Gaelic football streaming, often without even needing to place a wager on the game. Alternatively you can sign up to an online subscription service, such as GAAGO.
With more than twenty years of experience writing about the online gambling industry, Ian likes learning and sharing her knowledge with players in the UK and beyond.