Ireland Prepares for Major Gambling Regulation Shift as New Licensing Authority Set to Begin Operations

Ireland’s newly established gambling regulator is preparing to start issuing licences following formal authorisation from a senior government minister. Jim O’Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, has granted the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) permission to begin the licensing process. The minister confirmed that the authority can begin granting licences “for new entrants as soon as is feasible.” Under the rollout timeline, the GRAI will begin issuing online gambling licences starting 1 July 2026, while licences for land-based operations will begin being issued from 1 December 2026.

Businesses will be required to apply for GRAI licences once their current licences, issued by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, reach expiry. Some companies are only just entering the Irish market under the existing licensing system. For example, Welsh-based operator DragonBet recently launched operations in Ireland using a licence issued by the Revenue Commissioners.

The move represents a major milestone in Ireland’s wider restructuring of its gambling sector. The Gambling Regulation Act of 2024 replaced outdated legislation including the Totalisator Act of 1929 and the Betting Act of 1931, laws that had long been viewed as inadequate for regulating Ireland’s modern, digital-focused gambling environment. Commenting on the development, O’Callaghan said, “Today marks another important step towards replacing Ireland’s outdated gambling laws with a streamlined and simplified licensing framework.” He added, “This reflects the nature of modern gambling and takes into account the harms associated with problem gambling, by providing safeguards to protect people from those harms, especially children.”

The legislative reform has been many years in the making. The Gambling Regulatory Bill was first introduced to the Oireachtas in 2022, following decades of debate over gambling oversight in Ireland that can be traced back to the 1990s. Aside from a limited amendment introduced in 2015, most of Ireland’s gambling legislation had remained rooted in legal frameworks dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, which policymakers and industry stakeholders widely agreed no longer met the needs of a modern online gambling market.

The legislation successfully passed the final stage of the Oireachtas on 16 October 2024 and was subsequently signed into law by then-President Michael D Higgins. Among the most significant provisions included in the Act were the establishment of the GRAI itself, the introduction of a mandatory Social Impact Fund designed to reduce gambling-related harm and support treatment and prevention programmes, and the introduction of stricter standards related to player protection and advertising practices.

Throughout the legislative process, there was extensive dialogue between government bodies and industry representatives. However, debate continues over the role of gambling advertising and the broader societal effects of the industry, particularly concerning younger and more vulnerable populations.

While the government has now authorised the GRAI to expand its regulatory role, the decision also comes with a firm warning regarding compliance. The authority, which has been gradually building its operational structure since 2025, has been granted extensive enforcement powers under the legislation. O’Callaghan warned, “The Act provides the Authority with the necessary enforcement powers to take appropriate and focused action where licensees fail to comply with licensing terms, conditions and regulations, and to deal with unlicensed operators, those operating without the correct licence, or those in contravention of the terms of a licence issued by the Authority.”

By fLEXI tEAM