New Irish gambling regulator invites expressions of interest from providers

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland hopes to open a window for gambling licence applications later in the year.

Ireland.- The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), the new gambling regulator in the Republic of Ireland, has invited operators and suppliers to register their interest if they are considering applying for a new Irish gambling licence.

Created under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, the GRAI began its supervisory duties on March 5 under CEO Anne Marie Caulfield. It will issue licenses for all forms of gambling except the national lottery, which will continue to be run by FDJ-owned Premier Lotteries Ireland until 2034. It hopes to open a licensing portal and application window by the end of the year.

Licences will be available for B2C operators, B2B suppliers and charities that want to offer gambling products to raise funds. Within the first category, operators can express interest in applying for licences for remote betting, gaming or lottery, in-person betting or as a remote betting intermediary. Meanwhile, gambling service licences would cover areas such as online hosting, software or equipment maintenance, risk management and odds provision. B2B licences will be available for gaming machine suppliers.

The GRAI expects to open the window for all licence types this year except for charity gambling licences, although charities can continue to apply under the previous system for now.

By inviting expressions of interest, the regulator aims to sound out the level of demand for each type of gambling licence and to get a clearer idea of the eventual size and scope of the Irish gambling market. It plans to create a database of contacts so that it can alert interested operators once the licensing portal is live.

Operators and suppliers can register their interest via an online survey.