Ireland to require gambling firms to check crypto-linked transactions under new AML rules

Ireland is preparing a new anti-money laundering strategy that would require gambling operators to carry out due diligence on crypto-related transactions. For PSPs and high-risk merchants, the interesting part is not the slogan; it is the mechanism: crypto use inside gambling flows will need source-of-funds checks, and licence conditions look set to be enforced more tightly.

1. Minister for Finance Simon Harris said the government wants a “more robust regulatory framework” for casinos offering machine-based gambling, together with tighter enforcement of licence conditions and anti-money laundering rules. The plan is part of a broader effort to close loopholes the government believes allow illicit funds to move undetected.
2. The crypto piece is explicit. Ireland intends to set a standard requiring gambling firms to perform due diligence on crypto-related transactions so the origin of funds can be verified. In practice, that means the usual KYC/AML stack will need to deal with wallet-linked activity, not just cards and bank transfers.
3. The Department of Finance will also propose mandatory disclosure rules for the ultimate beneficial owners of all limited partnerships, and it plans to start work on a framework that supports parallel investigations into money laundering and tax offences. That matters for counterparties because ownership opacity is often the first problem banks see before a file gets escalated.
4. The announcement follows Ireland’s 2026 National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing, which concluded the country faces a “moderate” threat from money laundering. The assessment said criminal groups are combining traditional cash-based methods with digital tools such as crypto assets and money-mule networks.
5. The government also linked the strategy to the international probe into the Dubai-based Kinahan cartel, with Irish police working alongside overseas agencies to trace assets and assist in potential seizures. Separately, the Central Bank of Ireland will be tasked with developing a “systematic understanding” of how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, may create vulnerabilities or strengthen financial-crime defences.

The new Irish Remote Betting Licence framework came into effect in July under the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) after implementation of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. As of July 1, all operators need a B2C Betting Licence to continue offering sports betting in Ireland, replacing older laws such as the Totalisator Act 1929 and Betting Act 1931.