Ireland iGaming Demand Rises 9.3% Weekly, Independent Of Stake Exit
Sharp Rise That Isn't About Stake
Ireland's iGaming demand index climbed 9.3% week on week in the seven days to September 20, according to data from Blask reported by European Gaming, in the same week that Stake's withdrawal from the Irish market was first reported.
Brand-level figures, however, rule the operator out as the cause.
Stake's own daily Blask Index stayed within its usual range for most of September, reaching just 831 on September 20, up 9.6% day on day but still well inside levels the brand had already recorded earlier in the month.
The market-wide index, by contrast, jumped from a typical 76,000 to 125,000 range to 157,800 on September 19 and 183,400 on September 20, the highest reading of the period.
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A Dense Fixture List
The data points instead to a busy Sunday sports calendar, driving the surge in search-based demand.
Stake blocked access for Irish users in the week beginning September 7 after engagement with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which told the Irish Times that "operators, including two major prediction markets and a major international online gambling platform, have geo-blocked their services" following its interventions.
The prediction markets are understood to be Kalshi and Polymarket, both of which geo-blocked Irish users in July.
Stake is reported to have said it intends to apply for a licence under Ireland's new regime, which took effect on July 1, 2026 and has issued 33 remote licences to betting sites to date.
