Gaelic Sports Review

Introduction to Gaelic Sports Betting

Gaelic sports are mainly played in Ireland, and the governing body is the Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA). The two main sports are football and hurling, but there are other minor Gaelic Sports. Both professional sports are huge for spectating and betting in Ireland, which is also growing in the UK. In 2017 there were 45 senior GAA fixtures, and the total attendance was almost one million people. These figures represented significant increases for both football and hurling. Both leagues generated gate receipts of over €34 million. There has been an increase in betting on Gaelic Sports which has been encouraged by live TV coverage. Bookmakers have responded by publishing more betting markets for the major televised fixtures.

Betting Events

The main Gaelic Sports leagues and competitions take place in Ireland, and these dominate betting on the sport. There are minor leagues in other parts of the world such as Europe, Middle East, Asia, Argentina and South Africa. There is a league structure in Ireland that matches towns and cities and counties in both parts of Ireland. The main domestic league brings together club teams who compete on a home and away basis. The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship bring together counties from Northern Ireland the Republic of Ireland. Both seasons culminate in All-Ireland finals which are huge sporting events on each side of the border. Winning the championship brings huge kudos for a county. Gaelic Sports are not Olympic sports, and that is unlikely to change because there is no global following.

Betting Types

The fluctuations in the scoring make Gaelic football and hurling popular live betting sports. Live TV coverage also promotes betting in running on the major fixtures. Most bookmakers allow customers to cash out bets during a live Gaelic Sports event. There is also a great deal of pre-match betting. Bookmakers issue odds a few days in advance of matches. Odds change as a result of team news and potential injuries. Bettors can place ante-post wagers on the winner of both senior championships.

Gaelic Sports Markets

The most bet on Gaelic Sports market is the winner of a match. This market can be a three-way option (Home Win, Draw, Away win) or a two-way market which includes overtime. Customers can also place bets on the total number of points and handicaps. Bookmakers offer more exotic markets such as the correct score in bands and the first and last scorer. There are ante-post betting markets on the winners of the club leagues and the All-Ireland Championships.