The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland

Monday, 13th July 2026: The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) is encouraging parents and guardians to be alert to the signs of gambling among young people and to intervene early to prevent gambling harm.The signs of gambling aren’t always visible, the GRAI in partnership with the Health Service Executive Addiction Services have developed dedicated advice on www.grai.ie to equip families with the knowledge to recognise the signs, advice on how to start the conversation with their children about gambling, and where to seek help if required.To support the guidance, the GRAI has launched a national public awareness campaign across video on demand, radio, digital audio, and social media platforms, bringing this message directly to families across Ireland.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Gambling Authority, further strengthening collaboration between European gambling regulators.The MOU reflects a continued commitment to closer cooperation on compliance, monitoring, and enforcement. It is designed to support more effective information sharing and coordination between jurisdictions that oversee many of the same operators and market practices.A recent meeting between CEO of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, Anne Marie Caulfield, and Director General of the Danish Gambling Authority, Anders Dorph, provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on key regulatory challenges and to align approaches where possible, especially in a digital-first age where gambling regulation increasingly requires coordinated European responses to address cross-border risks. Welcoming the agreement, CEO of the GRAI, Anne Marie Caulfield, said: “This Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish Gambling Authority is another vital milestone in strengthening cooperation between regulators operating in closely connected markets. “Continued dialogue and collaboration between Ireland and Denmark will support more effective oversight and regulation, and we see this agreement as part of our continued efforts to deepen cooperation with regulatory partners across Europe.”

Wednesday, 1st July 2026: Remote betting and betting intermediary licences issued by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) commence today in the latest milestone in Ireland’s new regulatory regime for the gambling sector. The initial licences cover betting services online and by other remote means, such as by telephone, as well as intermediaries facilitating remote betting between parties. In person betting licences will commence later in the year.With the commencement of GRAI licences, licensed operators must now meet strict obligations designed to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of the market. These include age verification requirements to prevent underage gambling, obligations to pay out winnings, safeguards such as a ban on facilitating credit or accepting credit cards and requirements on closing accounts on request. Operators are subject to ongoing compliance monitoring, and the GRAI has powers to investigate operators, enforce compliance, apply significant sanctions, and take action against unlicensed or illegal activity.Speaking about today’s licensing commencement, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD said: “The commencement of licences for remote betting operators establishes a clear and robust regulatory regime for the gambling sector, strengthening Ireland’s reputation as a well-regulated market, and ensuring operators are held to consistent standards of compliance. I welcome the progress made today as part of the phased implementation of licences for the gambling sector in Ireland.”Anne Marie Caulfield, Chief Executive Officer of the GRAI, said: “We commenced the roll out of our licensing with the largest segment of the Irish betting market, remote betting. Once an operator is licensed by the GRAI, they are required to comply with all commenced obligations under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. This means that as of today, consumers in Ireland have important new protections when they bet online or over the phone.“The GRAI licensing application process is substantial with a number of important requirements that operators must satisfy before they can be approved, this is to check that operators are (a) fit and proper, (b) have financial capacity to provide gambling activity, and (c) that winnings are funded from lawful means.“It is important for consumers to understand the dangers of unlicensed operators.  When gambling is unlicensed, oversight is removed and the risk of harm is radically increased. Tackling illegal operators is also a major priority for the GRAI, it is a criminal offence to operate without a betting licence, and our work has commenced in identifying unlicensed operators.”GRAI licences are being rolled out on a phased basis, applications for further licence including gaming, lotteries, B2B, charitable and philanthropic will be opened throughout 2027 and 2028.