The League of Ireland Premier Division is one of the fastest-growing European football leagues. Despite Ireland's vibrant sporting culture, including traditional games like Hurling and Gaelic football, there’s a growing demand for the League of Ireland Premier Division.
League of Ireland Attendances are Skyrocketing
A few years ago, the league measured the highest attendance increase out of any professional league in Europe. In February 2025, it noted a record-breaking attendance when Shamrock Rovers travelled to Bohemians Aviva Stadium, losing narrowly in front of a crowd of just over 33,200. This stands in stark contrast to the misfortunes of the national team, who have not qualified for a World Cup in more than 20 years and failed to qualify for the last two Euros.
Gaelic football and hurling tower over association football in terms of cultural relevance. However, as the League of Ireland Premier Division grows in stature, there’s been a surge, and this is driving a continually growing demand for betting markets that cater to this fresh audience.
League of Ireland is More Affordable For Football Fans
Some key forces behind this growth include cheaper ticket access and the soaring travel costs involved in watching EPL teams, which means Irish football fans are staying home to watch the game. Dundalk and Shamrock have done well in Europe in recent years, which has helped bolster the league’s following.
The sky seems to be the limit for the League of Ireland Premier Division at the moment. Its popularity continues to grow year after year, and Irish teams continue surprising us in European competitions. As a result, Irish football betting markets will adjust accordingly and expand to capture this burgeoning market.
How to Bet on the League of Ireland Premier Division
Once you have registered for your LeoVegas account, either search for the League of Ireland Premier Division or scroll down to the market on the football betting page; each league is listed alphabetically. We also recommend verifying your account so you do not encounter issues when withdrawing your winnings. Once you have chosen your market, you’ll see a separate betting slip on your screen where you can input your stake and place your bet or combine it with other selections.
Irish Premier Division Betting Markets
Irish football betting markets mirror many of the more dominant European leagues. Only a couple of distinctions separate these markets. Unlike La Liga or English Premier League betting, there’s no outright market for the top goalscorer or for individual players to get booked during a game.
Demand drives the scope of markets available. Although League of Ireland Premier Division betting is experiencing a noticeable increase, it still lags behind the popularity of top European football leagues.
- Full-time: A straight bet on the final result: a home win, an away win or a draw.
- Both teams to score: Both teams must score at least once. This bet is often combined with a match win, such as, Drogheda United to beat Shamrock Rovers and both teams to score.
- Over/under goals: Depending on which teams are playing, it could be a goal fest or a stalemate. If you think there’s value in that market, over and under is usually detailed as a 0.5. For example, Shamrock to win by under 3.5 goals.
- Handicap: Similar to over/under bets, handicap bets involve a team winning by a certain margin. If you think one team will steamroll the other, a handicap bet where you pick the specific winning margin could make it more interesting.
- Corner bets: Bet on whether there will be over or under a specific amount of corners.
- Half-time/full-time: You bet on the result after 45 minutes and again after 90 minutes. For example, a draw at half-time and then Drogheda to win after 90 minutes.
- LeoVegas also has a pre-packaged betting section on their site that combines popular markets or potential bets for those seeking betting inspiration or ideas.
League of Ireland Premier Division Betting Tips & Strategies
As with any football league, you should only bet on matches or teams you understand. It might be the team you follow, a rival team you know well, or perhaps you’re someone who lives and breathes the League of Ireland Premier Division. In any event, sticking to the teams you understand is a strategy we strongly recommend.
If we look at some of the stats from the League of Ireland Premier Division, it’s a market expanding out of the Dublin-centric feel. Generally speaking, the last several seasons have witnessed an average of between 430 and 470 goals. Roughly speaking, there are around 2.5 goals per game, which is slightly lower than the EPL average last season of 2.8 goals.
From a betting perspective, Shamrock Rovers are always in or around the top of the league, although they have had a slippery start to the new season. Dundalk had been punching above their weight, but a disastrous last season saw them slip into the second tier. Statistically, a league with fewer goals tends to spring more betting surprises, including draws, and greater attention is paid to markets such as under 2.5 goals.
Key areas to be mindful of include injuries and suspensions, especially teams missing key players. You may also want to consider previous head-to-head records, derbies, and current form. These factors can interchange and rapidly shift, so keep your ear to the ground via podcasts, social media, and online communities to stay updated on the latest League of Ireland Premier Division news.
Unpredictable League of Ireland Premier Division for Betting
The best bets for the League of Ireland Premier Division depend on a few factors. Finding value in the markets for some of the top teams is difficult. Although Shamrock Rovers have traditionally been the dominant force in Irish association football, the influx of new money has changed the league’s dynamics.
Shelbourne's triumphant domestic performance, culminating in the league title last year, raised a few eyebrows in the European football community. It highlighted that plenty of competition was rumbling beneath the surface in a league that many casual fans believe is dominated by Shamrock Rovers.
As we discussed in the previous section, the league's much lower average goal total than some of Europe’s other top leagues means there is more scope for surprise results, including low-scoring games and draws.
Top Irish Teams to Back
Before Shelbourne won the league in 2024, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk controlled the League of Ireland Premier Division, with both teams lifting it multiple times between 2018 and 2023. However, with Dundalk out of the picture and Shelbourne officially the new sheriff in town, the question of who the top Irish teams are has taken on a whole different angle lately.
Drogheda United are looking to change their fortunes and could be the team to watch. Some other mid-table teams, including Waterford and Galway United, are also looking to push into the top four. Shelbourne managed to end an 18-year drought for domestic success, and now St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City could also be looking to turn the tide, with both teams winning titles in the 2010s but not having a great start to the 2020s.
It’s worth checking out which teams have qualified for Europe, too. Teams with a midweek game could struggle in their subsequent weekend fixture, with players potentially carrying more injuries due to the higher frequency of games.
Why Bet on the Irish Football League?
If you’re a football fan, the explosion of niche betting markets over the last decade has been a welcome addition to the footballing world. The League of Ireland Premier Division, in particular, has noted a steady rise in viewership and attendance figures. Ultimately, this trickles down to interest in the underlying betting markets.
Many Irish fans have an English-based team they support. However, as travelling to the UK to watch and bet on those games becomes much more expensive, the League of Ireland Premier Division is the unexpected beneficiary.
Irish teams are at the peak of their season when European Qualifiers begin, which can be an advantage. The League of Ireland Premier Division calendar also occurs during the summer, which is the traditional break for Europe’s top leagues.
The League of Ireland Premier Division has a complete fixture list almost every week through June, July, and August. This means you don’t have to sacrifice watching other games and can give your undivided attention to the domestic game in Ireland.
The Rising Tide of Irish Domestic Football
Although Ireland has produced some elite talent over the years, such as Roy Keane, Robbie Keane and Damien Duff, the international team has been a sore talking point for Irish football fans.
Therefore, there’s more betting activity on the Irish domestic game than on the international one. Hopefully, with more attention being paid to the League of Ireland Premier Division and Irish teams performing better in Europe than they have in the past, this will eventually trickle into international football and the quality will improve. At the moment, however, Irish domestic football is on the rise and its betting markets will see more action.