🇮🇪Ireland gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

Ireland’s gambling law was, until recently, among the oldest in Europe: the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, with licensing handled by Revenue and the courts. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024, signed into law in October 2024, replaces this patchwork with a single modern regime and an independent regulator.

The Act is being commenced in phases. Core provisions came into force on 5 February 2026, betting moved first, and gaming (including online casino) follows later.

Item	Position (October 2026)
Regulator	Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI)
Online betting	Licensed by GRAI since 1 July 2026
Online casino and poker	Licensing not yet open; expected 2027
National Lottery	Single licence (operated by Premier Lotteries Ireland)
Self-exclusion	Operator-level; national register pending

The regulator

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland was formally established in March 2025. It licenses operators, supervises compliance and can take enforcement action, including fines of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover, whichever is greater. It will also run the National Gambling Exclusion Register and administer a Social Impact Fund, financed by an industry levy, to pay for treatment, education and research. In its 2025–2027 strategy, the GRAI says it aims to be fully self-financing through licence fees within three years.

In September 2026, the GRAI warned publicly that its budget was short of what it needed to build its systems, and that some reforms would slip into 2027.

Licensing

The new regime has three broad licence types: betting, gaming and lottery, each with remote (online) and in-person variants and a separate business-to-business category. Applicants must publish a notice of intent at least 28 days before applying and submit a business plan.

• Remote betting: applications opened in February 2026 and the first licences were issued from 1 July 2026, when old Revenue remote licences expired.
• In-person betting: licences due from 1 December 2026.
• Remote gaming (online casino): the GRAI expects the systems needed for applications to be ready in early 2027.

See gambling licensing models.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

Online sports betting is fully regulated. Online casino games have historically fallen into a grey area: the 1956 Act did not address the internet, and sites serving Irish players are licensed elsewhere, mainly in Malta. Until GRAI gaming licences exist, those sites are outside Irish consumer-protection rules and the future national exclusion register. See our guide on how to check if a gambling site is licensed.

Taxation

Bookmakers pay betting duty of 2% of stakes, online and in shops, a rate that has applied since 2019. Budget 2027, announced on 6 October 2026, left it unchanged despite calls for an increase. Pool betting duty is lower. How licensed online gaming will be taxed is a matter for future Finance Acts. Compare rates in gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

The 2024 Act bans gambling advertising on television, radio and on-demand audiovisual services between 5.30am and 9pm. Ads must not use imagery or characters likely to appeal to children, and the Act gives the GRAI power to set further rules on content, sponsorship and inducements. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

Under the new regime, licensed operators must:

• refuse credit card payments;
• not run VIP or loyalty schemes that offer hospitality and perks to keep customers gambling;
• offer deposit limits and time-outs;
• restrict inducements such as free bets designed to win back customers after losses.

Several protections tied to remote gaming, including affordability-related measures, will only bite once gaming licensing goes live.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

Commencement in February 2026 gave the GRAI criminal enforcement powers, including the ability to seek court orders against illegal operators. Dedicated investigation and enforcement units were planned for the second half of 2026. Because online casino licensing has not opened, enforcement against offshore casino sites is limited for now. See payment blocking and ISP blocking.

What this means for players

For now, Irish players are in a two-speed system. If you bet with a GRAI-licensed bookmaker, the new protections already apply: no credit cards, mandatory deposit limits and time-outs, restrictions on inducements, and a regulator that can investigate complaints and impose heavy fines. If you play online casino games, the site is almost certainly licensed in another country, usually Malta, and Irish rules do not yet reach it.

Practical points while the transition continues:

• Check whether a betting site holds a GRAI licence; the GRAI publishes a register of licensees.
• For casino sites, find out which foreign regulator licenses them and how complaints are handled there. Our guide to filing a complaint explains the usual routes.
• Use operator tools and bank gambling blocks rather than waiting for the national register.

Recent developments and what to watch

• Gaming licences: whether early 2027 holds depends on GRAI funding decisions.
• National Gambling Exclusion Register: no confirmed launch date as of October 2026.
• Social Impact Fund: the size and timing of the industry levy.
• Lotteries and gaming machines: licensing for these is expected later still.

For practical help, see self-exclusion in Ireland and support services in Ireland.