New Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland takes over licensing duties
The GRAI’s taken over full oversight duties in a milestone for the overhaul of gambling regulation in Ireland.
Ireland.- A new era of gambling regulation has begun in Ireland with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) taking over licencing duties this month. The transition is a major milestone in the implementation of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which replaces legislation dating back nearly a century.
New GRAI-issued licences are being introduced gradually. Remote betting operators are first in line after the regulator opened the new Irish gambling licence process in February. In-person betting licences are due to follow later in the year. Applications for other categories, including gaming, lotteries, B2B, and charitable licences will open between 2027 and 2028.
The new Gambling Regulation Act replaces outdated laws such as the Totalisator Act 1929 and Betting Act 1931, which focused on racetrack bookmakers and retail shops. As of July 1, all operators need a B2C Betting Licence to continue offering sports betting in Ireland.
Under the new framework, online betting services, including those offered via telephone — must hold a licence and comply with strict obligations. These include age verification checks, guaranteed payout of winnings, bans on credit card use, and requirements to close accounts upon request. Mandatory deposit limits, restrictions on inducements, and bans on credit gambling form part of the consumer safeguards.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD welcomed the development: “The commencement of licences for remote betting operators establishes a clear and robust regulatory regime for the gambling sector, strengthening Ireland’s reputation as a well-regulator market, and ensuring operators are held to consistent standards of compliance.”
GRAI chief executive Anne Marie Caulfield added: “Consumers in Ireland now have important new protections when they bet online or over the phone. Tackling illegal operators is a major priority — it is a criminal offence to operate without a betting licence, and our work has commenced in identifying unlicensed operators.”
The GRAI’s remit will extend beyond licencing. It will oversee a Social Impact Fund for research and treatment, establish a national exclusion register similar to the UK’s Gamstop, and enforce advertising restrictions — including a ban on gambling ads between 5.30am and 9.00pm.
There is much crossover between the British and Irish markets, with operators such as Flutter Entertainment, William Hill, and bet365 active on both sides of the Irish Sea. Unlike the UK, where gambling regulation falls under the oversight of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ireland’s regulator is under the Department of Justice. Irish gambling revenue is estimated to have exceeded €2.5bn in 2025,
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over a rise in the number of young people aged 18-25 needing to access addiction services for gambling in Ireland. Gamblers Anonymous said it is seeing thousands of young people, particularly young men, attending more than 150 meetings nationwide since Covid-19.
