New Irish gambling regulator to vet executives as part of licensing process

The GRAI has plans for severe penalties for breaches of Irish gambling regulations.

Ireland.- The new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) will vet the senior executives of companies that apply for Irish gambling licences, its CEO has said. Anne Marie Caulfield told the Irish Examiner that the regulator also plans to use a “full toolkit” of enforcement powers to ensure adequate player protection.

Caulfield, who was confirmed as CEO of the regulator when the GRAI formally began operations this month, said the GRAI would investigate those responsible for licensees. She also said the regulator would impose “very severe penalties” on companies that breach market rules. These will range “from a notice of improvement to a €20m fine, or 10 per cent of turnover – whichever is greatest – to a suspension of a licence, revoking a licence and, in terms of the particular officers, key decision makers, there can also be consequences for them.”

The GRAI was created under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which was approved in October and which replaces the Betting Act of 1931. One of the regulator’s first tasks will be to create a national gambling exclusion register to allow players to self-exclude from all gambling and gambling promotions.

The new regulator will also have the responsibility of creating and overseeing a Social Impact Fund. Like the upcoming British gambling levy, this will fund gambling harm research, training and education through a mandatory levy on gambling operators.

The GRAI will also police advertising rules introduced under Ireland’s new gambling legislation, which includes a ban on gambling advertisements on TV, radio and on-demand audiovisual media between 5.30am and 9pm. The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASA Ireland) will also monitor compliance with gambling advertising standards.

Under this dual system, the GRAI will handle complaints related to alleged breaches of the TV and radio watershed and other obligations under the new legislation, while the ASA will handle complaints related to “a breach of the ASA code of standards but not related to the Gambling Regulation Act”.

Caulfield said the GRAI would monitor advertising closely and is awaiting research on the impact of free bets. She noted that it would have the power to make new regulations if it saw a need to impose further controls.

“For example, there can be warnings with regard to something akin to what you’d have on financial services products,” she said “Warnings about potential losses, directing people to areas where they can get assistance and help. There are different measures, further measures, that can be taken by the authority. So that is an area that will be looked at in due course.”

Caulfield has raised concerns about the rate of problem gambling in Ireland. A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) suggested that one in 10 people suffer significant or moderate harm from gambling, and that 47 per cent of gambling turnover is made from such bettors. She is particularly keen to focus on protecting minors.

“Another thing that’s very worrying and does really justify clamping down very hard is children and gambling,” she said. “When they analysed it, children who gamble before the age of 18 are twice as likely to develop harmful gambling in later life.”

She also mentioned a study linking suicide and problem gambling, which identified 23 deaths where gambling was noted by the coroner. She said: “We have met with numerous people with lived experience, and it is so devastating, not just for the individuals, but also for their families. It really does reinforce the fact that we’ve been given a very responsible role, and it’s important, we owe to those people to do our job properly, and we’ll certainly be making every effort to do that over the coming years.”

Meanwhile, Caulfield said that new licensing requirements for charities and organisations like GAA clubs that run lotteries and raffles will not apply for several years. However, there will eventually be a €2,000 limit on prize money.