In Ireland, gaming has always been about people before platforms. It’s never just been one thing, not just poker, not just video games, not just Dungeons & Dragons in someone’s spare room. It’s all of it. A mix of social rituals, shared imagination, and small traditions that feel bigger when you’re in them.
In Ireland, gaming has always been about people before platforms. It’s never just been one thing, not just poker, not just video games, not just Dungeons & Dragons in someone’s spare room. It’s all of it. A mix of social rituals, shared imagination, and small traditions that feel bigger when you’re in them.
In 2025, the scene is still buzzing, but it’s shifting too. With new rules on the way, changing habits, and a growing blend of digital and face-to-face play, Irish gaming is quietly entering a new chapter.
Around the table: Where it all begins
Ask anyone who’s been part of it: gaming in Ireland doesn’t start in casinos or app stores, it starts around a table. A pint nearby. Dice in hand. Someone explaining the rules. Someone else making them up.
At the heart of this scene are events like Gaelcon, a weekend-long convention that brings together roleplayers, board game enthusiasts and curious first-timers under one noisy roof. Run by volunteers and powered by word-of-mouth, Gaelcon isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s part of the fabric now.
Then there are the smaller moments: monthly IGA Games Nights in Dublin pubs or community centres, where people bring card games, grab a chair, and jump in. No pressure, no entry fee, just a quiet kind of joy in sitting down with strangers and building a world together. And while most of the action happens around physical tables, plenty of players mix things up with a few spins online, a quick round of blackjack or a quiet game of roulette on NetBet, proof that gaming here isn’t one-size-fits-all.
A country that loves the rules and bending them
Of course, not everything about Irish gaming is smooth sailing. The Gambling Regulation Act, due to come into force in October 2025, is set to bring the biggest changes in decades. It introduces a proper regulatory body, limits on stakes and prizes, and new restrictions around advertising and licensing, mostly aimed at the betting and casino sectors.
But anytime rules change, they ripple. And while tabletop games and storytelling sessions aren’t the target, there’s a quiet concern that parts of the law might bleed into the broader gaming space, particularly around prizes, crowdfunding, or even competitive events with entry fees.
As always in Ireland, it’s less about what the law says, and more about how it’s interpreted. And whether the people writing those rules truly understand the difference between a slot machine and a campaign notebook.
A full calendar
Despite the shifts, the events that anchor the Irish gaming year are still going strong. These aren’t corporate expos, they’re made by fans, for fans, with a lot of heart and not much budget.
Here’s what 2025 looks like so far:
- Gaelcon (October, Dublin): Still the flagship for tabletop and roleplay culture in Ireland. Loud, chaotic, and wonderfully sincere.
- Conclave & Warpcon (Cork): Student-led, deeply rooted, and full of weird little games you won’t find anywhere else.
- IGA Games Nights (Monthly, Dublin): The opposite of intimidating, perfect for newcomers or players getting back into the scene.
- Game dev meetups in Limerick, Galway and Belfast: Quietly shaping the future, one prototype at a time. It’s not about spectacle. It’s about belonging.
So, where is it all heading?
Gaming in Ireland is evolving, yes, but not in a way that loses its roots. If anything, it’s become more human. The tech is there, the platforms are polished, but what matters is still the same: connection, stories, shared time.
The new laws will change some things. They’ll probably frustrate a few communities, and close off a few formats. But most of what makes Irish gaming what it is won’t be written in legal text. It’s in the friendships that start over a board game. The in-jokes that survive a dozen campaigns. The Saturday afternoons that turn into late nights, surrounded by rulebooks, snacks, and the comforting buzz of people just playing together.
And that, rules or no rules, isn’t going anywhere.
