GRAI Opens Licensing Portal for Betting Operators

James O'Kelly, Head of Corporate Development

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland has confirmed that its licensing application portal will open on Monday 9 February, allowing betting operators to formally enter Ireland’s new regulatory regime.

From approximately midday, applications may be submitted for Remote Betting Licences, Remote Betting Intermediary Licences, and In-Person Betting Licences. The portal will be accessible via the Authority’s website.

Please note however, the first statutory requirement is the publication of a Notice of Intention to Apply for a licence. That notice carries a mandatory 28-day lead time and must be completed before a licence application can be determined. Templates are already available and the notice process can be commenced immediately.

In practical terms, this notice period will dictate the earliest possible licensing timeline. Operators that delay publication will delay their own applications, regardless of how advanced their internal preparations may be.

The Authority has also published detailed material covering how applications will be assessed. This includes legal and corporate requirements, premises assessments for land-based betting, and supporting templates such as business plan formats. The level of detail provided gives a clear indication of the standards the GRAI expects applicants to meet.

The regulator has reiterated that licensing will be delivered on a phased basis and that it will continue engaging with industry as the regime beds in. That approach reflects both the scale of the market and the fact that this is a new supervisory authority assuming responsibility for an area that has historically operated with limited central oversight.

The GRAI has also signalled a move away from informal engagement. Existing email contact addresses will shortly be withdrawn, with applicants expected to use the Authority’s formal contact channels going forward.

Operators considering an application, or assessing their readiness against the GRAI’s requirements, may wish to take early advice on timing, sequencing and application structure. Further information is available on request.