Real Money Online Blackjack Casinos 2024

On this page we delve into all thing’s casino online Blackjack in 2024 as well as live online Blackjack. The Blackjack online casino industry is booming so stick with us for tips, tricks and more to help put the Blackjack odds more in your favour. We’ll also tell you about the best online casinos in Ireland where you can play the beautiful game.

Why is Blackjack one of the most popular games to play online or at live casinos? The game of Blackjack first appeared in France in the 1600s before moving to other countries. Blackjack was very popular in English card clubs in the 1900s and is now one of the most famous casino card games played worldwide. You may have heard of names such as Stanford Wong or Edward Thorpe who have both published books on Blackjack. 

In my personal experience I’ve enjoyed playing both live casino Blackjack in brick-and-mortar casinos as well as casino online Blackjack on various casino sites. We can also now play live dealer casino Blackjack to immerse and intertwine the two experiences. 

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games because it is fun and easy to learn. The house only has a small edge on these casino games, and anyone can come out as a big winner on any given night while having plenty of fun either on their own or with friends in the process. 

The aim of Blackjack is to get dealt cards that total as close to 21 as possible without busting. Then the dealer must do the same. We can see both our cards while only one of the dealer’s cards is face up. We have the option to stick to a number and hope the dealer either busts or totals a lower number than us. In some variants of Blackjack, the dealer must stick to a number and hit when on another number. Each hand can be played with several players and the betting rounds are simple and easy to learn. 

We can also enjoy the ultimate buzz (an ace and a picture card or a 10) of hitting a Blackjack (21) and receiving the bonus payout of 3:2 or 6:5 depending on the variant. Online Blackjack games for real money can create the same buzz and we have the potential to learn an optimal strategy or choose from different variants of the game at various online casinos.

When our experts here on Casino.com Ireland rank Blackjack casinos there are several important factors that we consider. Let’s look at a few important factors below: 

Licensing and Regulation: We always strive to make sure any real money blackjack casino is licensed and regulated by an official governing body in the interest of fairness and safety of Irish players. 

Game Selection: Blackjack is one of the most enjoyable Casino games to play the world over but the more variants, like Blackjack Switch, and European Blackjack for example, that there are to play at an online Casino the better. This applies to both the online casino and the live dealer casino. We also want to see the casino games powered by all the best software providers like Pragmatic, Playtech and Evolution Gaming. 

Deposit methods: Deposit and withdrawal methods at online casinos are ever evolving and our experts always want the latest payment methods as options to make transactions. The faster the deposits and withdrawals are at casino sites the better, and online casinos must keep up with the trends. Apple and google Pay are two of the newest payment options and we can even pay by phone bill now at some online casinos. 

Bonuses and promos: Who likes a bit of free money to kickstart their journey on online slots or casino games like Blackjack? The first deposit bonus or welcome package is a vital factor we take into consideration when rating and ranking the top Irish casinos. A typical offer we might see is a deposit match offer up to €500 plus 200 free spins on online slots as an example. 

Safety and Security: Aside from licensing and regulation we want to make sure all our data, information and funds are secure when deposited into an online casino account. All the best online casinos will be backed by the latest in SSL technology, firewalls and other safety protocols like Two Factor Authentication (2fA) and more.

Casinos to Avoid

Our experts tend to avoid reviewing and rating casinos with no previous brand recognition. If the Casino is not licensed and regulated and affiliated with known third party companies, we are aware. Offshore online casinos are also companies you should be careful with. 

What we want to see is a fully licensed and regulated casino under a reputable governing body and audited by third party companies like eCogra. We crave strong bonuses, promos and features, and a good reputation behind the platform and game providers.

There are several online casinos in Ireland where we can get stuck into our favourite variations of Blackjack. Let’s look at three of the top Casinos Irish players can register at to play online blackjack for real money. 

Book of Casino 

Book of Casino is owned and operated by NewEra B.V and licensed and regulated under the laws of Curacao. The online casino is backed by some of the best gaming providers of Blackjack games in the industry including Pragmatic Play and Ezugi. The theme of Book of Casino is one of the Arabian deserts and there’s a big welcome package up to €1000 for Irish players. 

You can win lucrative prizes in the big progressive jackpot slots or play Blackjack variants like Lightning Blackjack, Speed Blackjack or VIP Club Blackjack in the Live dealer suite. Normal table game Blackjack variants include Classic Blackjack, European Multi-hand Blackjack and 3D Blackjack.  

GoldenBet 

Goldenbet Casino has been around since 2021 with the aim of making online casino gambling a new and immersive experience. It is operated by Santeda International B.V. Goldenbet has a fine array of bonuses and promos and a games selection of over 3000 games powered by over 40 top providers. It’s offered in 8 different languages including German, French, Italian, and Spanish. 

At the Goldenbet online casino Blackjack variants include Vegas Strip Blackjack, European blackjack, 21 Burn Blackjack and Single Deck Blackjack. If we move over to the live dealer casino for some live online Blackjack, we can play the likes of Goldenbet One Blackjack, VIP Blackjack, Speed Blackjack, Power Blackjack and more. 

Rolling Slots Casino 

Rolling Slots Casino has a Rock N’ roll vibe going on and you could say the same about its welcome package which totals a whopping offer up to €2600. Rolling slots is offered in a multitude of languages and is powered by over 100 of the top software providers that included online Blackjack software. Rolling Slots Casino is owned by GBL Solutions and was established in 2021. It’s licensed by Antillephone N.V. 

In terms of game selection, it offers the best online casino real money games including casino online Blackjack like Classic Speed Blackjack and VIP Blackjack from Evolution. In the live dealer casino, we can play live online Blackjack like Infinite Blackjack and Emerald Blackjack.

There are now many variations of Blackjack games from the original Classic Blackjack which is explained in the next column. There are subtleties in the rules or extra features like side bets being introduced to spice up the action. Let’s have a quick look at a few different types of online Blackjack games first. 

Blackjack Surrender 

Blackjack surrender allows you to muck your cards if you don’t fancy your starting hand vs the dealer. Simply declare “surrender” and receive half your stake back before any more cards are dealt. 

European Blackjack

European Blackjack is played with a 2-deck shoe and has a few more subtle differences to Classic Blackjack. For example, the dealer must hit rather than stick on 17. Additionally, there are only selected hand values where the player can double down before more cards are dealt. 

Single Deck Blackjack

One for the old school Blackjack players. When playing in a live casino or playing live dealer online Blackjack only 52 cards are used in a single deck shoe. This allowed the mathematically inclined professional Blackjack players to easily count cards and have a big edge against the house back in the day. 

Blackjack Switch 

Switch Blackjack is a variant of Classic Blackjack attributed to Geoff Hall in 2009. In this game there are two hands instead of one hand dealt to each player and the player can then choose to exchange the top two cards from each hand.

Now to the nitty gritty and let’s start with the classic version of Blackjack where each player will place a bet and will then receive two cards face up while the dealer will receive one card face up and one face down. 

We need to decide depending on our own cards and the dealer’s card what the optimal play will be. We can choose to stand, hit, or even double down if we think we are in a nice position. This means double our bet. We can also choose to split pairs. 

If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, we can opt to take insurance against them hitting a Blackjack. This usually pays 2 to 1 while a Blackjack for us (21) pays 3:2. Be aware that taking insurance is offering up to 7% to the house over the long run. 

The object of the game is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over 21 or going “bust”. We want to get closer to this number than the dealer or hope he or she busts. Various rules apply such as the dealer having to hit on 16 or stick on 17. We can choose to split pairs, say if we are dealt pocket 8s or aces. In terms of hand values, 2-10 are their own value while picture cards are worth 10 and aces can be worth 11 or 1. 

Terminology & Abbreviations 

There are several associated terms with table games like online roulette or casino games like Blackjack that we should become familiar with. Let’s fly through some of the most important ones regarding blackjack online: 

Bust: Take a chance to get as close to 21 as possible. Remember, if you go over 21 you are “bust” and you lose. It can pay to stick to a number like 16 (dependent on the dealer’s face up card) and specific game rules and hope they bust. 

Hit: Hit is simply when you take another card from the dealer to add to your total. “Hit me” is something you’ll hear a lot at live casinos. Again, the dealer’s face up card will influence if you want to hit or stick (stand). 

Insurance: In Blackjack, insurance is a side bet that can be made when the dealer's face-up card is an Ace. If a player makes an insurance bet, they will usually get odds of 2 to 1 that the dealer hits a Blackjack. Remember, long term you are giving up a 7% house edge by taking insurance, and good players will advise against this. 

Push: a push is simply when you tie with the dealer and get your stake back. 

Surrender is a term used in some forms of Blackjack like “Blackjack Surrender” when you surrender to the dealer before any more cards are dealt in exchange for half your stake back. 

Decks 

Anywhere from 1 to 8 decks can be used in Blackjack and these are known as single-deck shoes to 8-deck shoes. The name “Shoes” stems from the physical device that is used to hold, shuffle and dispense the cards in Live casino Blackjack. 

The number of decks used in Blackjack affects the probability of each card that comes out. The more decks there are the more random the next card will be, and this deters card counters. The more often the cards are shuffled the harder it is for a Blackjack player to garner an edge. 

Cards Value

So, what are the value of the cards in a game of Blackjack? For beginners, in Blackjack card numbers 2-10 are what they say on the tin. IE: a two is worth 2, a five is worth 5 etc. Any ace can be worth either 1 or 11 depending on your hand while any picture card (a jack, a queen or a king) are all worth a value of 10. For example, if you are dealt a queen and an ace, you will have a value of 10 (queen) and 11 (ace) for 21 and a Blackjack and be paid out at 3:2 straight away. 

Free vs Real Money Blackjack 

In this day and age online casinos are trying to compete to get as many players in the door as possible. These means we see gimmicks like demo play online slots, online roulette and free to play casino games like Blackjack. We won’t always see Free Play Blackjack games at online casinos but if available they are a great way for new players to learn how to play Blackjack without investing their hard-earned cash first. To play for free simply hit the demo mode link if it’s available on the game portal. From there it works like playing online Blackjack games for real money except it’s just a virtual balance you are staking.

There are several strategies that professional Blackjack players employ to try and lessen the house edge which is usually ~0.5% when playing Blackjack online. This can be anywhere from game selection to the number of decks in the shoe to learning the basic and optimal strategies for Blackjack which are readily available online. 

Card counting is arguably the big strategy pros and highly mathematical minds can use to gain an edge but there are deterrents in place now to prevent this like 8-deck shoes, and bans. We’ll look at card counting below but remember that it’s frowned upon and can get you banned from casino games. 

Card Counting

This is a controversial topic, but does it work for online blackjack, and is it legal?  Card counting is not illegal per se but it’s unethical and you can get in trouble for it. It’s hard to do now anyway because of random number generators online or live casinos using multiple deck shoes. 

Card counting is simply where players assign a positive, negative or neutral value of +1,0 or -1 to each card that comes into play. Players combine the total running figure in their head. The more lower value cards that come out (2-6), the higher the running count will be which means there are more higher cards (10-ace) left in the deck. This is where players might want to raise their bets. Remember nowadays, the shuffling and decks of cards in play makes this much harder to do but in the olden days many people made a lot of money doing it. Card counting is very easy for those with a mathematical or probabilistic mind. 

Tips for Playing Blackjack 

The first thing I would say to a recreational Blackjack player is to learn the optimal Blackjack strategy online. It’s readily available and if you can master it you’re only at a tiny disadvantage against the house. There are charts you can study to learn how to counter the dealers hand or maximise your own hand strength etc. 

Betting higher while winning is something several players like to do. This is simply betting more units when you are on a winning streak and then reverting to your normal stake when you lose a hand or a few hands. 

Bankroll management is an obvious method to make sure you keep it fun. Never chase your losses or up your stakes too much if you are winning. I recommend only betting 1 unit that equates to a small percentage of your overall bankroll for your session’s play. 

The Martingale System is a much more complex system that pros or VIPS with lots of money might use. In theory you can’t lose with this system but in reality there are betting limits at casinos and not everyone has deep enough pockets to employ this system. You basically double your bet after every loss until you win, and you’re back in the black. Probability dictates you will eventually have a losing run that will ruin your best intentions.

So, now that we have all the information, how do we choose the best casinos in Ireland to play Blackjack? Well, we’ve already looked at a few key factors to ensure we pick and choose the right Blackjack site for us. 

Everyone is different so some people might place more emphasis on one factor than another. Firstly, make sure you read all our individual casino reviews from our experts to help you make your decision. You can also see different ratings and reviews from around the internet. Below I’ll give you a refresher course by listing some key factors to look out for when choosing an online casino to play Blackjack. 

1. Welcome bonus or package amount.
2. Ongoing promos like Blackjack online tournaments.
3. Free to play Blackjack games (demo mode).
4. Game selection – are there several different variants of online Blackjack to play?
5. Return to player percentage (RTP%) and house edge.
6. Is the casino fully licensed and regulated?
7. Who owns and operates the online casino?
8. Does the online casino adhere to responsible gambling practices?
9. Is it legal to sign up to the casino in your territory?
10. Who are the game providers behind the Blackjack games?
11. Are the platforms optimised as mobile casinos? IE: to play on handheld devices. Do they have an app?
12. What is the live dealer casino like re Blackjack online variants?
13. Safety and customer support. Is the online casino SSL certified?
14. Deposit and withdrawal methods. Are they PayPal casinos or offer the newest payment methods? 

All these and more factors will help keep you safe and keep your mind worry free to immerse yourself in a great user experience playing online Blackjack.

We’ve glossed over bonuses and promotions but a great option for both recreational players and pro players alike is to take advantage of welcome packages, first deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, blackjack tournaments and more. Anything that gives us an extra return on our investment is advantageous. A regular initial deposit bonus we might see at the best Blackjack online casinos is a matched deposit offer up to €500, for example. 

Recreational players might want to use their bonus funds to get used to the ins and outs of the game and create a strategy to get comfortable before using their own cash. 

Better or more experienced players might like to go bonus hunting and max out all the online casino and online Blackjack bonuses that they can. Many Blackjack online pros will play in daily and weekly jackpot leagues and tournaments which in essence is like a form of rake back, and they may even be offered cashback promos. Some will eke out games that lower the house percentage edge. 

All the top online casinos will offer bonuses and promotions to be used on Blackjack and casino games so read our reviews and sign up now.