Gambling Regulation in Ireland: What the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 Means for Irish Online Casinos

06 November 2026

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which created a new single framework for gambling in Ireland, officially launched the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) in March 2025. The GRAI, the newly established independent regulator for betting, gaming and lotteries, began accepting license applications from February 2026. This marks a significant shift in the gambling landscape, affecting both online and in-person betting operators.

GRAI's Expanded Powers and Responsibilities

The GRAI's responsibilities include licensing and regulating gambling services in Ireland, including online gambling. One of its key roles is establishing a National Gambling Exclusion Register and a Social Impact Fund. These measures aim to enhance player protection and address the social and economic impacts of gambling.

Under the Act, any provider operating in Ireland or offering gambling-related services to Irish residents must obtain a GRAI Business to Consumer (B2C) gambling license. The first licenses are being rolled out on a phased basis, starting from 1 July 2026. However, an EU-style B2C gambling license under the Act is prescribed to run for three years from the date of issue.

The GRAI's new powers include the ability to refuse, suspend or revoke licenses and to impose fines up to €20 million for serious breaches. This regulatory authority signals a stricter oversight of the gambling industry, ensuring compliance with the new framework.

Phased Licensing and Implications for Online Casinos

The licensing rollout is carefully phased. As of 1 July 2026, operators providing betting services online or by phone must hold a GRAI license. However, this initial betting phase does not include casinos, slot machines, or lotteries. Guidance for operators summarizes that only remote betting and betting-intermediary licenses are being issued from 1 July 2026, with in-person betting licenses following in December 2026.

Consumer-facing guides confirm that before July 2026, online casino games were entirely outside the Irish licensing regime and remain outside it for now, with gaming licenses expected between 2027 and 2028. The GRAI has not yet issued remote gaming licenses, with registration systems for those operators "expected to go live early in 2027," according to a report in The Irish Times on 30 September 2026.

Specific Licensing Rules and Their Impact

Under the Act and its implementation, gambling bodies must hold a license to provide certain gambling activities, including online gambling, in Ireland. If a particular type of gambling activity has not been authorized, it cannot be provided, even by bodies licensed for other activities. From 1 July 2026, any operator providing online or phone betting to Irish customers must hold a GRAI license.

Industry analysis expects that as GRAI licensing rolls out, casinos on the Irish market will adopt Irish-specific protections, such as a national self-exclusion register, advertising and inducement limits, stronger affordability checks, and a Social Impact Fund contribution. Trade press and compliance briefs generally place online casino and gaming license applications in the 2026-2027 window, with broader gaming, lotteries, and bingo licensing from 2027 onward.

Consumer explainers warn that until GRAI issues remote gaming licenses, online casinos targeting Irish players are operating without an Irish-specific casino license, because the remote gaming license category in the Act exists but has not yet been commenced.

Player-Protection and Safer-Gambling Measures

The commencement of the Act from 5 February 2026 brought into force several key player-protection measures. These include a ban on using credit cards to pay for gambling, a ban on children gambling or being employed by licensees, the ability for customers to set monetary limits on how much they can gamble online or remotely, and various safeguards around how online accounts are operated and closed, including obligations to refund monies.

Public-facing guidance confirms these supports, listing the credit-card gambling ban, the ban on children gambling or working for gambling licensees, a ban on ATMs in gambling venues unless specifically allowed on a license, and the option for people to set online gambling limits.

Conclusion

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and the establishment of the GRAI mark a significant overhaul of Ireland's gambling regulatory framework. With the phased licensing rollout already underway, online casinos and other gambling operators in Ireland must navigate a new landscape of strict regulations, enhanced player protection measures, and a more rigorous licensing process. As the GRAI continues to implement the Act, the gambling industry in Ireland is poised to undergo significant changes, with a greater emphasis on safety, compliance, and social responsibility.