Gaelic Green and Gaelic Grey: Hidden Casinos on an Emerald Isle, Part I
By Bill Thompson

The tour book said Ireland has 40 shades of green.1 However, while the casinos of the Emerald Isle do make some money (multi-colored Euros, as it were), they all are of one shade only — and that color is grey. Such is their legal status.

In October 2007, I made my first venture to the homeland of some of my ancestors. I had never been to the Emerald Isle. I had not even considered going, as I orient my travels around studies of the casino industry and Ireland did not have casinos. Actually, Ireland is only one of two European Union countries without casinos (the other is Cyprus, the only other “divided” nation in Europe). This time I could be just a tourist, and leave my “scholar’s” notebook at home.

But then it hit me — what wonderful research questions I could still ask. Just why doesn’t Ireland have casinos? And are there any efforts to bring casinos to Ireland?

In preparation for my research endeavor I went to Google. Voila! I had been so wrong. Entry after entry told me that Ireland did have casinos. Further digging revealed that the casinos were not authorized by law, albeit they did operate rather openly, most as “private member clubs.” A 1956 law was clear — gambling was illegal, as were houses where gambling games took place.2 Moreover, slot machines were also illegal. But then maybe the law was not all that clear. There were exceptions and “loopholes.” Amusement centers could have machines that award small prizes, and owners of public houses could permit private games among friends. The games would have to give even chances for all players, stakes or fees for playing had to be low, and the game operator could not realize any profits.3 So the law was clear, but not so clear. For decades, the spirit of law was followed rather closely, with only a few card clubs — mostly for Poker — operating on its margins and with some amusement halls with slot prizes not conforming to the law, which did not fully account for changes in Irish currency from pounds to a decimal system to Euros. In the mid-1990s an effort to establish a large casino as the centerpiece for a tourism-convention complex in Phoenix Park, Dublin, won local government zoning approval but failed to win enough political support to get to a vote in the Dáil (parliament).4 Only after the turn of the new century did serious entrepreneurs and operators seek to exploit the law’s loopholes and open “real” casinos or, that is, “casino clubs.”

In 2000 a study report of the government urged that casinos remain illegal under the law.5 In 2003 Minister of Justice of Ireland Michael McDowell indicated that the clubs were indeed illegal, however, because of the vagueness of the 1956 law, it would be difficult to win criminal convictions (beyond a reasonable doubt); hence, McDowell indicated he would not seek any prosecutions pending changes in the law.6 His statement was an invitation for a proliferation in the numbers of casino clubs. With a few turnabouts, in 2006 the same minister announced that he was going to raid all the clubs and close them down. His announcement raised a political firestorm of protest, as by then there were then more than 40 clubs around Ireland. Within a week, McDowell backed down and deferred judgment to a new citizens study group that would make a report about what should be done with casinos.7 The report has been written, and it was given to the government in early 2007. However, it has not been released to the public.8 McDowell was defeated in his 2007 reelection bid (for a seat in the Dáil), and a new minister, Brian Lenihan, now oversees prospective developments on the casino front. He has his civil servants studying the report.

Having found that Ireland has several dozen casino-type facilities, I now had some different research questions as to what these casino clubs were like. When did they start? How did they operate? Where were they located? The basic questions, however, still remained. Why had Ireland chosen not to legalize and regulate casinos? And what was the status of efforts to establish legal casinos in Ireland? This first article on Irish gaming looks at the first three questions; a second article will look at last two.

Before arriving in Dublin, I purchased a city map from my local Barnes & Noble. I plotted the addresses of several facilities (identified on Google) in Central Dublin. After my Aer Lingus flight landed, my trip began with a walking tour to the sites of 11 casinos.9 There were an additional dozen casinos in the greater Dublin area that I missed. In all of Ireland, there are “about” 46 casinos; however, the number is somewhat imprecise as casinos open and close each month, and other facilities purposely operate in a clandestine fashion, well hidden from non-local populations and not found on published lists.10

Almost all of the facilities I toured had intentionally low-key operations. While they wanted customers, they did not want public attention lest they generate negative feelings that could activate new enforcement efforts by the minister of justice. Their manner of placement and size reminded me of the legal casino clubs of London. However, most of them certainly did not meet the standards of ambience found in London clubs; rather, they were more like casino found in hinterlands (the provinces) of England, Wales and Scotland.

Several Dublin casinos were tucked into side streets. Others on more major thoroughfares had barely recognizable signs near their doors. The Colossus and Jackpot Casinos were on “Montague Street,” which was not even on my tourist map. The nearby Mayfair Casino was on Harcourt, a major thoroughfare with government offices. I had to inquire more than once at local businesses before I found its unnumbered location. It was marked with a small, non-lit and faded neon sign above a single doorway. A similar nondescript entry was found for the 78 Club on Aungier Street, although the casino’s website claimed it was the largest table and machine casino in Dublin (a claim that was simply untrue), and that it had been open since 1991.11

Another “hidden” casino was seeking a more substantial role in the Irish gaming scene. Google told me that the Sporting Emporium was near Grafton Street (a major pedestrian market street near Trinity College and Stephens Green) on Anne’s Lane.12 It took three tries and several inquiries (one resulting in directions to a sports wear store) before I found Anne’s Lane off of South Anne Street. There I found a three-story 12,000-square-foot building with a substantial casino facility inside. The building’s interior was completely new and of a modern style. It had a “golf” theme with displays of “18th Hole” green flags signed by winners of tournaments such as the Master’s and the British Open. The Sporting Emporium opened in October 2005 and represented a £5.5 million ($8 million U.S.) investment by billionaire Dermot Desmond, reputedly the third richest man in Ireland. He also owns the Manchester Union football team and London City Airport. Desmond is “well-plugged-in” to high government circles. When the facility opened, invited guests included movie personalities as well as “Miss World.”13

It may be suggested that the facility was build with the idea that it would be permanent. Desmond may wish to be positioned to quickly expand the casino and reach out to wider markets just as soon as casinos are legalized. It is doubtful that he wishes to wallow in grey territory for any long period of time. The casino combines two gaming operations. On the ground floor there is an upgraded sports betting shop (most of the thousand plus betting shops of Ireland are clean but rather down-market appearing and appealing). The shop is run as a separate business by Chronicle Sports. It is spacious and has a lounge with food service. It has many television monitors and is open to walk-in business from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Two upper floors feature 30 tables — six Roulette, eight for Blackjack, one each for Punto Banco and Pai Gow, and 14 for Poker. The tables have limits, but these may be adjusted for players; in some cases there are no limits. There are 112 employees.

The casino is open from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Poker tournaments are ongoing; there are 12 each evening. There are no slot machines, nor will there be if the casino expands with legalization. Slots appeal to a market that the Sporting Emporium does not seek. Players must join the club. 33,702 have done so. The club receives about 150 players each week night and 400 each night on weekends. Players must be 21 years old and meet a modest dress code — no hooded sweatshirts and no flip-flops. The players are screened for identification purposes, and they must register their identity and submit to a biometric fingerprint scan each time they enter the casino area. Security cameras are linked directly to the local police department.14

An upper area café will serve liquor but not in gaming areas. The casino certainly has not reached its potential, but it does make profits. These are shared with charities to some extent, with a prime charity being a fund for injured horse jockeys. Many jockeys are members. The Sporting Emporium does advertise in some major media, but for now it is happy just to be on a side street outside of general public view while it waits for changes in national legislation.15

While the Sporting Emporium and other up-market casinos do not want to have slot machines, several casinos consist almost totally of slot offerings. One is Amusement City on Westmorland Street, a block north of Trinity College. The casino has a large upstairs room with over 100 slot machines. Prizes exceed £1,000. A back downstairs room has five table games. I was required to join the club in order to enter and take a walk-around look. Most of the dealers and players were of Asian background. Since the economic boom of the 1990s began, over 80,000 Asians have immigrated to Ireland.16 Most live in Dublin. They are also players at Eden’s Quay on the street of that name beside the Liffey River a block from O’Connell Street, the major street of northern Dublin. The casino has an upstairs room with machines that is open in the daytime and evenings, and a lower room with tables that is open only in the evening. The most interesting slot machine palace is Dr. Quirkey’s Goodtimes Emporium. It is located on O’Connell Street just a few buildings north of the famous post office that was the site of the 1916 Easter Monday Uprising. This facility, owned by Richard Quirke, offers two rooms for slot machine gaming. The upper room has lower-prize machines as well as video games. It permits minors on the floor. Many children — with and without parents present — were playing money as well as non-money prize machines. The downstairs room to the side offers big prizes on its machines and restricts players to persons over 18 years. Membership was not required (for me, anyway). A battery of six multiplayer Roulette machines grosses as much as $8,000 per day.17 The machines attract mostly Asian players.

Three other casinos in central Dublin seek patronage from affluent, and even tourist, players. Cool Hand Luke’s card club is on South Merrion Square near the government buildings housing the Dáil. The club had just opened on the site of the previous Merrion Club casino. The casino is owned by Luke Ivory, who has gained fame as a top Poker player in Ireland. Two floors offer many Poker tables, as well as Blackjack, Roulette, Brag and Punto Banco games. There are 40 employees.18

Around the corner, on South Fitzwilliam Street, is the Fitzwilliam Casino Club. This facility is built into Clifton Hall, a structure that used to be a Catholic church and nuns’ residence. Marketing Manager David Hinkson hinted that statesman Eamon de Valera just might be rolling in his grave, as the very strict (and anti-gambling) Catholic moralist politician used to come to the building to say morning prayers before going to the Dáil to lead parliamentary debates. In 2003 18 Dublin businessmen sought to establish a “suitable” place where interested businessmen could play poker.19

The club has no machines, but instead offers tables for several types of Poker — Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha and Three Card Poker — as well as Mahjong, Kalooki, Blackjack, Punto Banco and Roulette. At full capacity there are 21 tables operating on two floors. Each night there is a Poker tourney. The casino employees 110 employees, and it is open 24 hours a day, each day of the week.20

Hinkson, who is an accountant and son of one of the owners, indicates that the club abides strictly by the 1956 law by requiring very tight membership rules, including picture identifications and background checks. Members must be 21 years old. A subsidiary company called Golden Horseshoe, owned by the same 18 men, operates the games. At the non-Poker games, one member among the players volunteers to be the “bank,” assuring that even odds are given. At Poker, the table stakes are limited to £10 per hour for each player. The casino enforces business rules pertaining to money laundering. They also follow a code of conduct designed by the Gaming and Leisure Association of Ireland, an association founded by directors of the Fitzwilliam Club in 2006. The casino does not give credit, but it will allow the use of debit cards, and credit cards for up to £5,000 per day. There is a dining area, and part of the area separate from the playing floor allows alcoholic beverages. Members are given free meals and beverages.21

In October 2003, an article in the Sunday London Times indicated that international casino manager J.J. Woods was poised to launch “Ireland’s first fully fledged casino” in the heart of Dublin.22 (In 2000 he had opened a casino called “Macau” on Parnell Street, in an area with many Chinese businesses. That was a down-maket facility and is no longer in operation.)23 Woods’ new facility was called “Silks,” and it was themed around horseracing and the colors of the famous racing stables of Ireland. It is located on Earls Fort Terrace among foreign embassies and other Georgian mansions, just across from the very up-market Conrad Hotel. Up-market is the motif of Silks as well, as it caters to “high-ranking figures from the world of business, media and the horseracing fraternity,” and other celebrities.24 Tom Jones performed at a special opening attended by a former Miss World. Woods has sought to have a club that could easily fit into the offerings of London’s Mayfair — with its Ritz, Curzon and Mayfair casinos.25 The casino offers only table games — Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Three-Card Poker and Stud Poker. It has food service with complimentary beverages as well as large plasma screens for sporting events. A shuttle service takes players to major hotels throughout Dublin.26

Outside of Dublin, my venture allowed me only to visit casinos in Kinsale and Galway. (I also saw small-stakes slot machine amusement centers in Portrush and Belfast, in Ulster in the North. All these seemed to conform with British gaming law. The British Casino Act of 1968 specifically prohibited casinos in Northern Ireland.) In the historical village of Kinsale, I found the Leisure Pier Casino. This two story facility near the waterfront occupied the town’s former cinema building. Sixty slot machines with prizes exceeding £1,000 welcomed players over 18 years old to the first floor. The upper floor had 40 machines, including Roulette machines, and required that players be at least 21. These were house rules put into effect because several older players wished to be segregated from teenagers while they were playing.27 The beach town Salthill, adjacent to Galway, has three slot parlors with a variety of machines, some of which had large prizes. None of these machine facilities required membership status for players.

In Galway I sought out the Corrib Casino on Forster Street near Eyre Square in the city center. The sign outside the building proclaimed the existence of many tables for play; however, another sign indicated that the facility had been sold, and the door was closed.28 J.J. Woods commented that management problems had plagued the operations.29

It is appropriate to end this brief tour of Irish casino “clubs” with a reminder that must always be repeated: Having a casino is not exactly the same as having a license to steal. They don’t all make it, and with their “very” grey status, it is not likely that the Irish casino clubs face a green future (as in American green — with big dollar signs). Changes in the law are in order if Irish casinos are to be successful. Before we turn to efforts to make the casinos green with legality, a review of existing legal gaming is in order. This will be the subject of an article in the next issue of Casino Lawyer.

Bill Thompson is a Professor of Public Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

1. Rick Steves and Pat O’Connor, Rick Steves’ Ireland 2007. Emeryville CA: Avalon Travel Publ., p. 40.
2. Gaming and Lotteries Act (Ireland), 1956.
3. Interview with Joseph Kelly, Partner A+L Goodbody, Attys, North Wall Quay, Dublin, Oct. 4, 2007.
4. Interview with Joseph Kelly, above; interview with J.J.Woods , director of Operations, Atlantic Casino Consultants, at Clontoff Castle, Dublin, Oct. 6, 2007; Tom McEnaney, “New Casino Takes a Gamble on Irish Law,” The Sunday Times (London), Oct. 26, 2003; and Clair Ryan , “The Other National Vice,” Sunday Independent LIFE (Dublin), March 6, 2005, pp. 23-25.
5. Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. June, 2000. Review of the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956-1986: Report of the Intergovernmental Group. Dublin: Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
6. Interviews with Joseph Kelly and J.J.Woods, above.
7. Interview with Joseph Kelly, above; and interview with Grainne Bolger, Assistant Principal Officer, Project Development Division, Department of Justice, Equality and Law reform, Dublin, Oct. 5, 2007.
8. Interview with Grainne Bolger, above.
9. Tour conducted October 4–7, 2007, Dublin.
10. Interview with J.J. Woods, above; interview with David Hinkson, Marketing Director, The Fitzwilliam Casino and Club, Clifton Hall, Dublin, Oct. 4, 2007;
11. www.dublinevents.com/dublin-casinos/casinoclub-78.php. Visited Oct. 29, 2007.
12. www.showbizireland.com/news/october05/26-desmond01.stml. Visited Oct. 29, 2007.
13. Interview with security office (unnamed), at Sporting Emporium, Dublin, Oct. 5, 2007.
14. Interview with security office, above.
15. Interview with security office; and J.J. Woods, above.
16. Interview with Thomas Graham, Ph. D. Instructor for New York University Dublin Program, Oct. 8, 2007.
17. Personal visit to casino, Oct. 7, 2007; www.whatswhat.ie/business.php/Dr-Quirkeys-Goodtime-Emporium/8796. visited Oct. 29, 2007; interview with J.J.Woods, above, and on Oct. 20, 2007, also at Clontoff Castle, Dublin.
18. Interview with John Stewart, Manager, Cool Hand Luke’s Casino Club, Merrion Square, Dublin, Oct. 4, 2007.
19. Interview with David Hinkson, above; www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com. Visited Oct. 29, 2007.
20. Interview with David Hinkson, above.
21. Interview with David Hinkson, above.
22. McEaney, above; Ryan, above.
23. Interviews with J.J. Woods, Oct. 6, 2007 and Oct. 20, 2007.
24. Ryan, above.
25. McEaney, above; interviews with J.J.Woods, above.
26. www.silksclub.ie. Visited Oct. 29, 2007.
27. Visits to Leisure Pier Casino, Kinsale, Oct. 9, 2007.
28. Visits to Claude’s Casino and site of Corrib Casino, Galway, Oct. 15, 2007.
29. Interviews, J.J. Woods, above.