The new Irish licensing authority’s grand opening. Operators need to apply for licensing certificates, possibly within the following year.
The Irish gambling authority has officially announced that it is open to regular online casinos, sports books and other online gambling activity.
From our previous news reports, the authority is to be called the GRAI (Gaming Regulation Authority of Ireland). However, as we have seen with other licensing authorities prior to creating a licensing certificated, the name could change.
It was way back in November 2022 when the government approved an Irish online gambling regulatory authority. At the time, the consensus was that the licensing authority was expected to come online by 2023.
However, when the original draft framework came into the public eye, there were too many holes that operators and experts said were grey areas.
Now, we are in 2025, and as slow as the process may have been, the inevitable has finally come to light. A domestic online gambling regulator that is officially open. The next step for the GRAI is to bring a licensing application online.
According to the latest media frenzy in the gambling industry, the regulator will begin operating in phases to develop licensing applications.
From what we can glean from our research, it looks like the setup will involve multiple licensing framework types, which is not an uncommon practice for gambling regulators across the globe.
The UK Gambling Commission has separate licensing certificates for casino, bingo, and sportsbook gambling, as well as for game supplies, i.e., software providers.
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) also has several licensing applications. For example, its B2C Gaming Service License comes with Type 1 (Casino), Type 2 (Sports betting and fixed odds), Type 3 (poker, betting exchanges, and fantasy sports), and Type 4 (certain fantasy sports and eSports).
According to The Journal, an Irish online news publication, the headline reads no timeline in place to activate new strict gambling regulations. The exact wording is: “THERE IS NO agreed timeline in place to activate new, strict gambling regulations despite a watchdog agency for the industry being established by the government this month, The Journal has learned”.
Ministers Approve the Appointment of Seven Members
The new authority will consist of seven members, approved by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan. Along with the already appointed CEO Anne-Marie Caulfield, the current team consists of eight members.
From here on out, the goal is to ensure that gambling is well regulated, fair, and protective of vulnerable players, particularly minors.
GRAI CEO Caulfield noted that extensive groundwork has been completed, including:
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Licensing and operational financial models
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Senior appointments in compliance, IT, enforcement, and consumer protection
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Research into gambling harm and advertising impacts
Jim O’Callaghan also said, “The establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is a further step towards replacing Ireland’s outdated gambling laws with a streamlined and simplified licensing framework…”
| Meet the New Authority |
|---|
| Chair Paul Quinn |
| Celine Craig |
| Marion Kelly |
| Rita Purcell |
| David Hickson |
| Michael McGrath |
| Dr. Colin O’Driscoll |
What Will the New Authority Cover?
The key components are online and in-person gambling. Therefore, we can reasonably assume that licensing will cover online and land-based gambling. Verticals that will fully be under the licensing framework’s remit will include Gaming, betting, and some lotteries, like bingo. As for specifics, some news reports specifically state that the GRAI will not cover National Lottery or political fundraising activities.
We’ll repot more on this topic and update our Irish casinos page when we have full confirmation of the new rules.
| Online Gambling Verticals Affected |
|---|
| iGaming |
| Land-Based Gambling Venues |
| Sports Betting (Online/In-Person) |
| Some Lotteries (Bingo, etc…) |
How Will the New Rules Affect You As a Player in Ireland?
I gamble in Ireland and online. You can already see from a previous casino guide we produced the gambling options available in Ireland. Entirely how the newly formed Irish licensing authority will change these industries, we don’t know, but we have every confidence the idea is not to disrupt the industry.
As per the quote above, Jim O’Callaghan stated a “streamlined and simplified licensing framework.” However, there are some grey areas and plenty of questions we still have left unanswered, and I am sure they will come in due course.
My questions are?
- As an Irish online casino player, will I still be able to access cryptocurrency casinos?
- Are overseas online gambling sites going to be considered black market operations?
My main concern is that my country has a population of roughly 5.3 million people. If overseas online gambling sites become labelled as ‘black market’, the move would limit my options. Although big brand gambling companies will apply for licensing, how many can sustainably operate in Ireland with such a small target market?
My final thoughts: As long as my cryptocurrency gambling and freedom of choice is not affected by the new licensing, then I am all for regulations that make online gambling in my country safer.
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