Ireland Activates Its New Gambling Regulator, Bringing Licensing, Major Penalties, and Stricter Controls

Ireland’s gambling market is moving into a new phase: the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is now taking licence applications and getting ready to apply broad new regulatory requirements.

The country’s new gambling watchdog has now been authorised to begin licensing operators. That step was enabled when Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration Jim O’Callaghan signed a commencement order putting key parts of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. into force.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), created by the Act and formally set up in March 2025, is responsible for running the licensing system. The commencement order took effect on Feb. 5, clearing the way for the GRAI to begin its work.

As an independent regulator, the GRAI may grant licences to new operators “as soon as is feasible.” Licences previously issued via the Office of the Revenue Commissioners end on July 1 for online operators and Dec. 1 for in-person operators, after which businesses will need to move onto GRAI-issued licences.

Alongside licensing, the regulator is building supervision, complaints handling, and enforcement mechanisms, including investigative powers and the ability to impose fines equal to the higher of 10% of turnover or €20 million ($23.6 million). Criminal enforcement provisions are also switching on, allowing the GRAI to apply for court orders to compel illegal operators to cease trading.

A New Regulatory System Takes the Place of the 1931 Betting Law

Minister O’Callaghan was a key figure in steering the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 through the legislative process, after multiple delays and earlier attempts that did not succeed.

The Act replaces the Betting Act of 1931. Commenting on the commencement order, O’Callaghan said the “streamlined and simplified” licensing approach aligns with contemporary gambling regulation and is intended to strengthen protections, particularly for children.

The commencement also triggers a prohibition on gambling with credit cards, tighter constraints on bonuses, and a restriction on gambling advertising on TV and radio between 5:30 am and 9 pm.

A Three-Year Implementation Plan

Prospective licensees must place a public notice of intention at least 28 days before applying and provide a business plan. To support submissions, a dedicated GRAI Operator Portal is scheduled to open on Feb. 9.

According to the GRAI’s Strategy Statement 2025-2027, the regulator intends to introduce annual inspection programmes in July 2026 and to establish specialised investigation and enforcement teams by Q3 2026.

The GRAI also plans to set up a National Gambling Exclusion Register, comparable to the UK’s GamStop, and participation will be mandatory for all licensees. Separately, a new industry levy is expected to generate at least €14 million ($16.5 million) per year for a Social Impact Fund, backing addiction treatment, public awareness work, research, and community-based responses.

Industry Pushback

The new framework has not won universal support. In comments to the Irish Independent, AK Bets owner Anthony Kaminskas described the model as “extremely self-defeating,” arguing that gambling-related harm could increase even as restrictions tighten. He also said that licensed operators already treat compliance as a serious obligation.

Kaminskas’ view is that regulatory breaches create a greater commercial threat than losses caused by customers who win. He further warned that high taxation and tougher advertising limits may redirect players toward offshore operators.

Referencing developments elsewhere in Europe, he claimed Belgium’s licensed sector dropped from 85% market share to 15% over five years after tighter rules were introduced. Offshore platforms, he added, typically provide much weaker consumer safeguards. Similar concerns have also been raised by Flutter Entertainment, the owner of Paddy Power.

Rising Attention on Gambling Addiction

Ireland has spent decades debating gambling reform. Previously, the Revenue Commissioners oversaw the sector under the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, but practical enforcement was often limited. Under the new regime, the GRAI is expected to operate with a much more active supervisory and enforcement posture.

Public and policy focus on addiction continues to grow. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) estimates that one in 30 adults in Ireland experiences problem gambling, around ten times the level recorded in 2019. Total annual gambling expenditure is estimated at about €5.5 billion ($6.5 billion), with roughly 28% attributed to problem gamblers.

Separate research commissioned by the GRAI reported strong associations between childhood exposure to gambling, parental gambling behaviour, and an increased likelihood of gambling problems later in life.

Operators are now preparing for the new licensing requirements while the regulator develops its enforcement and consumer-protection infrastructure. With applications opening this month and additional safeguards scheduled to roll out through 2026, the sector is heading into its largest reset in almost a century.