1. Establishment of the GRAI

 

The GRAI was formally established on 5 March 2025, marking the beginning of Ireland’s transition from fragmented oversight to a centralised national regulator. GRAI is responsible for:

​

• Licensing all gambling activities

• Regulating online and in-person operations

• Enforcing licence conditions and conducting compliance audits

• Regulating advertising, promotions and safer-gambling rules

• Operating the National Exclusion Register

• Managing the Social Impact Fund

• Overseeing B2C operators, B2B suppliers, game/software providers and lotteries

​

This foundational step laid the administrative and legal framework for Ireland’s modernised licensing regime.

​

2. Legacy Licensing (Pre-GRAI)

​

Before GRAI’s establishment, gambling activities were regulated through a combination of outdated laws, including:

​

• Betting Act 1931

• Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956

 

Under the legacy model:

 

• Betting licences were issued by the District Courts

• Revenue Commissioners handled excise duties and renewals

• No structured regulation existed for online gaming, remote gambling, platform providers or modern compliance standards

​

This created inconsistencies, operational uncertainty, and a regulatory framework no longer suitable for the digital era.

​

3. Transitional Phase 

​

During the transitional period, Ireland is operating under a dual system, while GRAI prepares to take full control.

​

Legacy licences remain valid. Operators holding existing betting licences or permits issued under prior legislation may continue operating under those permissions.

​

Renewals remain with Revenue Commissioners and/or District Courts. Until GRAI formally opens applications for each licence category, renewals continue through the traditional routes.

​

New GRAI licence categories will open in phases. GRAI is introducing licence types in a structured, staged rollout.

​

4. Phase 1 — Opening of B2C Betting Licence Applications

 

The first licences to open under GRAI’s new regime are:

 

• In-Person Betting Licences

• Remote Betting Licences

• Remote Betting Intermediary Licences

​

During this phase:

 

• Operators must submit a Notice of Intention at least 28 days prior to applying

• Applications will be made directly through GRAI’s online system

• Requirements include extensive business, financial and personal documentation

• A turnover-based fee model will be in operation

• GRAI will commence compliance assessments

​

This phase is designed to stabilise the most established and highest-demand verticals before expanding to other gambling sectors.

​

5. Phase 2 — Lotto, Gaming & B2B Licensing

​

Once B2C betting licences are underway, GRAI will open further categories, including:

​

• Remote Gaming Licences (casino, slots, RNG-based products)

• Lottery Licences (excluding the National Lottery which remains regulated separately)

• B2B Supplier Licences, including:

  • Platform providers

  • Game studios

  • Software suppliers

  • Payment service providers

  • Managed gambling service companies

​

These categories will activate broader parts of Ireland’s digital gambling ecosystem, creating the full vertical integration needed for a modernised regulated market.

​

6. Phase 3 — Implementation of National Exclusion Register & Safer Gambling Codes

 

Once core licensing is established, GRAI will formally activate the National Exclusion Register and Mandatory Safer-Gambling Standards. 

​

The National Exclusion Register is a centralised national system allowing any individual to self-exclude across all licensed gambling products in Ireland.

 

The Mandatory Safer-Gambling Standards include:

​

• Intervention protocols

• Affordability considerations

• Inducement restrictions

• Advertising and marketing rules

• Ongoing monitoring and data-driven consumer protection

 

This phase expands operational oversight beyond licensing into ongoing supervision and harm-prevention.

​

7. Phase 4 — Full Enforcement Framework & Penalty Regime

 

As the licensing ecosystem stabilises, GRAI will progress toward full enforcement capability, including:

​

• Administrative penalties

• Suspension and revocation powers

• Criminal prosecution mechanisms

• Full-scale compliance audits

• Investigations and risk-based supervision

​

This marks the transition from regulatory rollout to steady-state operational regulation.

​

8. What Operators Should Do During the Transitional Phase

​

Existing Operators

• Maintain current licences under legacy models

• Prepare for transition to GRAI licensing

• Review documents, policies and AML/KYC systems

• Update governance, risk, responsible-gambling and data-protection frameworks

• Prepare for significant uplift in compliance expectations

​

New Operators / Market Entrants​

• Plan ahead for Notice of Intention requirements

• Prepare financial projections for turnover-based fees

• Develop responsible-gambling and AML policies aligned with GRAI standards

• Monitor GRAI announcements for licensing window openings

​

B2B Providers

• Software and platform providers should prepare for formal licensing

• Ensure technical architecture meets Irish data, AML and safer-gambling expectations

• Engage early to understand obligations