New Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland takes over licensing duties

Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has now taken over licensing duties, marking the first full step in the country’s overhaul of gambling regulation. For operators, the key point is simple: the old framework is being replaced, and online and retail betting in Ireland now runs through a much stricter licensing setup.

1. As of this month, the GRAI has assumed full oversight under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which replaces legislation dating back nearly a century. The change moves Ireland away from the Totalisator Act 1929 and the Betting Act 1931, laws built around racetrack bookmakers and retail shops rather than modern online gambling.
2. New GRAI-issued licences are being rolled out in stages. Remote betting operators were first, with the new Irish gambling licence process opened in February. In-person betting licences are due later in the year, while applications for gaming, lotteries, B2B, and charitable licences are scheduled to open between 2027 and 2028.
3. 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 obligations that include age verification checks, guaranteed payout of winnings, bans on credit card use, and account closure on request.
4. The consumer rules also include mandatory deposit limits, restrictions on inducements, and bans on credit gambling. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD said the commencement of licences for remote betting operators “establishes a clear and robust regulatory regime” and strengthens Ireland’s reputation as a “well-regulator market,” while GRAI chief executive Anne Marie Caulfield said tackling illegal operators is a major priority and that operating without a betting licence is a criminal offence.
5. The GRAI’s remit goes beyond licensing. 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. The market context matters here: Irish gambling revenue is estimated to have exceeded €2.5bn in 2025, and operators such as Flutter Entertainment, William Hill, and bet365 are active on both sides of the Irish Sea.

One detail payment teams will not miss: unlike the UK, where gambling regulation sits under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ireland’s regulator is under the Department of Justice. That usually means a different compliance conversation, even when the operators, brands, and payment flows look familiar.