Gambling Regulation in Ireland
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 gave Ireland a single regulator, a public licence register and new payment rules. This hub tracks the GRAI's phased rollout and what each stage changes for players.
Top operators
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Prontobet Sports
SportsbookA crypto-accepting sportsbook with solid football and esports markets, live betting and streaming, sharing the same licence and fee caveats as its casino.
- Funds with crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT) as well as Interac
- Live betting with live streaming
- Football, tennis, basketball and esports depth
- Kahnawake licence means lighter oversight than EU regimes
- Per-withdrawal fee, same as the casino
Pays via: InteracVisaMastercardTrustlyMuchBetter +1 more
- Licence
- Kahnawake
- Withdrawal
- 1–3 business days
- Min deposit
- CAD 30
SlotParadise
CasinoA 2023 multi-currency casino with Trustly, Interac and broad crypto support for Norwegian and Canadian players, though its licence and track record are light.
- Supports Trustly and Interac plus a wide crypto range
- Multi-currency including CAD, NZD and NOK
- Norwegian-language site
- Kahnawake licence means lighter oversight than EU regimes
- Newer brand with a limited track record
Pays via: TrustlyInteracVisaMastercardSkrill +2 more
HeyCasino
CasinoA multi-currency Kahnawake-licensed casino with strong Interac, Trustly and crypto coverage, though its lighter licence and slower bank payouts warrant care.
- Supports Interac and Trustly
- Accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin
- Holds CAD, NZD and NOK balances
- Kahnawake licence means lighter oversight than EU regimes
- Bank withdrawals can take several extra business days
Pays via: InteracTrustlyVisaMastercardMuchBetter +3 more
One Act, one regulator, a phased rollout
Ireland's gambling law was rebuilt by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, enacted on 23 October 2024. It replaces a patchwork stretching back to the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 with one licensing system run by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). The rollout is phased: betting licensing opened for applications on 9 February 2026, and the first remote betting licences commenced on 1 July 2026 (GRAI). Gaming — including online casino — lottery, B2B, and charitable licence applications open throughout 2027 and 2028.
The practical entry point for players is the public register of licence holders the GRAI publishes on its website. Our GRAI licence register tracker follows every register update — who holds a licence, which trading names it covers, and how to check an operator step by step.
Payment rules: the credit-card ban
The Act writes payment restrictions directly into the licensing regime. Section 165 bars licensed operators from accepting credit-card payment for gambling — including e-wallets topped up from a credit card — and from extending credit to players. The GRAI listed this ban among the obligations that became binding when the first licences commenced on 1 July 2026. Section 165: Ireland's gambling credit card ban covers the scope, the penalties and what stays legal.
Statutory rules are only one of the two layers between an Irish player and an operator. Banks and e-money apps run their own voluntary gambling blocks on top, and those decline payments regardless of licence status — the casino payments in Ireland hub maps how the two layers interact.
Player protections in the Act
Beyond licensing and payments, the Act builds player-protection machinery. Section 45 establishes the National Gambling Exclusion Register: a single register through which a person can exclude themselves from remote gambling with every Business to Consumer licensee at once, viewable by licensees in real time, with indefinite exclusion until the person applies for removal (Irish Statute Book, s.45). Citizens Information describes joining the register in forward-looking terms — "you will be able to join a register online" — and notes that not all GRAI functions are commenced yet (Citizens Information).
The same framework provides for advertising restrictions, including a statutory watershed prohibiting gambling advertising between 05:30 and 21:00 on television, radio and on-demand media, a Social Impact Fund financing research and education on gambling addiction, and a complaints function at the GRAI — commenced alongside licensing by the February 2026 order. Obligations bind operators as they become licensed, phase by phase, which is why the licence register is the reference point for which protections apply where you play.
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates gambling in Ireland?
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), the statutory regulator created by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It licenses operators, maintains the public register of licence holders, enforces obligations and handles complaints. The National Lottery sits outside this regime and is regulated separately.
Is online betting regulated in Ireland now?
Yes. The first GRAI remote betting and remote betting intermediary licences commenced on 1 July 2026, and licensed operators are bound by the commenced obligations of the Act — age verification, paying out winnings, account closure on request and the credit-card ban. The GRAI states that operating remote betting without a licence is a criminal offence.
When do online casinos get GRAI licences?
The GRAI's 1 July 2026 announcement states that applications for the remaining licence types — gaming, lotteries, B2B, charitable and philanthropic — open throughout 2027 and 2028. Until gaming licensing opens, existing gaming licences continue to be renewed through the Revenue Commissioners under the transitional arrangements.
What is the National Gambling Exclusion Register?
A register established by section 45 of the Act through which a person can exclude themselves from remote gambling with all Business to Consumer licensees at once, for an indefinite period until they apply for removal. Licensees must be able to view it in real time. Citizens Information describes joining it as forthcoming.
Does Irish law restrict gambling advertising?
The Act provides for advertising restrictions enforced by the GRAI, including a statutory watershed prohibiting gambling advertising between 05:30 and 21:00 on television, radio and on-demand audiovisual media. The GRAI has published advertising-obligations guidance for operators on its website.
Sources
- Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (full text) — Irish Statute Book (2026-07-11)
- Gambling Regulation Act 2024, s.45 (National Gambling Exclusion Register) — Irish Statute Book (2026-07-11)
- Commencement of Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland Remote Betting Licences — Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (2026-07-11)
- Register of Gambling Licensees — Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (2026-07-11)
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland — overview — Citizens Information (2026-07-11)
Articles in this topic
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GRAI Licence Register: Who Is Licensed in Ireland
Ireland's GRAI licence register is live: 15 remote betting licences at the 2026-07-08 update. How to check an operator, the Act's licence types, what opens next.
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Section 165: Ireland's Gambling Credit Card Ban
Section 165 of Ireland's Gambling Regulation Act 2024 bans credit-card gambling payments. What it covers, who it binds, GRAI enforcement, and what stays legal.
Verified