Clothing and casinos fuel monthly rise in card spending 

Figures from the Central Bank of Ireland show spending on betting and casino gambling has risen by 20% annually 

The main merchant contributing to the rise in entertainment spending was betting and casino gambling, the regulator said, which increased by more than 11% compared to the previous month.

A surge in gambling and clothes shopping saw total card spending in October rise by over 4% on a monthly basis.

New figures released by the Central Bank of Ireland show total card spending rose to €9.85bn in October, with the volume of monthly card transactions increasing by more than 6%.

The rise in spending was underpinned by several sectors including retail and social, the Central Bank said.

the clothing sub-sector was a key driver of growth in the Irish retail sector, the regulator noted, with Irish residents spending over €455m on clothing across October, marking an almost 10% rise compared to the previous month.

This spending reflects a marginal annual increase, with the value spent rising by 2.6% compared to October last year. 

In domestic terms, the average clothing transaction stood at €62.68, a decline of 1.4% compared to the same period in 2024. 

However, the Central Bank noted clothing inflation increased by over 4% annually, as reported by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), with the lower average transaction price suggesting Irish customers are buying fewer items per visit or opting for less expensive options.

The regulator also noted clothing rentals as being a significant contributor to increased spending, with expenditure among Irish customers soaring by 195% compared to September. 

The Central Bank said the sharp increase is most likely attributed to the seasonal demand for costume rentals ahead of Halloween, while also noting that expenditure in this category was up by more than 14% compared to October 2024.

Meanwhile, the growth of the social sector was fueled by a rise in entertainment, the regulator said. In October, Irish residents increased their entertainment spending, with the value rising by more than 8% compared to the previous month. 

In comparison to October 2024, spending has risen significantly, increasing by just under 26%, the Central Bank found.

The main merchant contributing to the rise in entertainment spending was betting and casino gambling, the regulator said, which increased by more than 11% compared to the previous month. When compared to October 2024, the Central Bank said spending across this sub-sector spiked notably, rising by over 20% annually. 

Figures released by the Central Bank also show domestic card spending increased to €8.17bn, while volumes rose by more than 6.4% to 211m.

The average domestic card transaction in October stood at €38.73, down 1.7% from September, the regulator said.

This monthly decrease occurred despite the CSO reporting that overall inflation rose by 0.5% in the month. 

In comparison to October 2024, the average domestic card transaction increased, rising by 5% annually, which the Central Bank said was broadly consistent with the 2.9% annual increase in price levels.

In October, the value of total cash withdrawals stood at €1.1bn, up almost 1.4% from September. The average withdrawal totalled €149.88, down 0.41% from the previous month.