Ask anyone of a certain age in Dublin what they think of when somebody says slots and you won’t hear any talk of Las Vegas or Monaco. Instead, they will wax lyrical about the Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporiums of O’Connell Street and Phibsborough. The aptly-named quirky venues were the de facto home of casino style gaming in the city, and were a popular evening destination for locals and tourists alike.
However, following the death of ex-Garda and founder of the Good Time Emporiums, Richard Quirke, in 2024, the venues have been put up for sale and taken on new lives. The venue on the city’s main street, just opposite the O’Connell Upper Luas stop, was iconic and has been rebranded as Carlton Casino.
With that said, does this show that the fair city has an appetite for casino-style venues for adults?
An Industry on the Up and Up Outside of City Centres
The biggest thing that Dr Quirkey’s had going for it was its slots. Yes, many were known to enjoy the all-ages amusements that are more reminiscent of a Victoria seaside town on the northeast coast of England. However, the majority of its loyal visitors were huge slot fans who made their way to one of the two city venues for its dedicated 18+ slot floor. Ireland is a country that is mad for slot gaming, too.
As the casino industry transitioned to a more digital-first landscape, slots were one of the first things to make a big impact online. Now, there is a diverse market when it comes to slots, even just here in the Emerald Isle.
For example, at the Irish version of Karamba casino, there are hundreds of slots for Irish players, including the ones inspired by the country, such as Lucky’s Wild Pub, Book of Irish and Irish Pot Luck. It’s evidence of an enduring relationship between Ireland and casino gaming, given that the affection clearly flows both ways.
Tourism Likely to be a Large Driver of Potential Venue Growth
Dublin is somewhat of an outlier at times compared to other capital cities. There’s no direct rail link to the island’s biggest airport for a kickoff.
But that is also noticeable in its diversity in nighttime entertainment for adults. Compare it with even any large UK city – Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow – and you notice that casinos and clubs are lacking in comparison. Where you might find a number of venues and a super casino in those UK cities, our capital is restricted to a handful of smaller venues.
As we’re well aware, Dublin is not the most populous of cities when looking at our neighbours across the continent. With only around 1.5 million people in the entire county, it’s a city that relies on tourism. While that can lead to overtourism – a statement which Hospitality Investor claims is unfounded for Ireland – it means that tourists shape a lot of our cultural offerings. As such, more casino-searching tourists from areas of the world with a more diverse market than ours will be a big driver for casino numbers to improve.
US-Irish Relations a Potential Market for Casinos to Exploit
It’s no secret that we share a somewhat unique relationship with our cousins across the Atlantic. With so many people in the US claiming Irish heritage – around 32 million of them – it’s a special connection that we have.
Because of that, as anyone who has lived in or visited Dublin will know, a lot of the tourism is geared towards that demographic. Restaurants even offer American wine tasting nights, as well as US flags flying all over the city – something one would see on a day-to-day basis.
If Dublin wants to create world-class casino venues for its people and its visitors, it could do much worse than leaning on this cross-Atlantic connection. One need only look at the cities of Las Vegas and Atlantic City to see just how well the States does its casino entertainment.
If an entrepreneurial Dub can tap into that and find a way to deliver a uniquely Irish spin on it, they could capture a committed audience from all the way in the US, as well as the million plus people who call Dublin and its suburbs home.
