Online Casinos in Ireland

Licence for online casinos from Ireland

Ireland is moving to a single modern regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), created to license, supervise and enforce rules across online casinos, betting and certain lotteries. The system is grounded in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which aims to make gambling fair and safe, protect children and vulnerable people, and prevent gambling from being used to support crime. GRAI began operations in 2025 and is phasing in licensing; until the new licences are live, existing permissions continue under the current framework overseen by the Revenue Commissioners, An Garda Síochána and the courts. GRAI has published that the opening of application windows will be staged to ensure a smooth transition.

For operators, the standards are demanding. Player funds must be protected in segregated accounts, with a clear obligation to pay out winnings under stated terms. Online operators will be required to maintain a register of all account holders, collect and keep specific information at sign‑up, give players access to account data and provide copies of terms and key information about risks and rights. They must verify age and identity, keep children out, and may be restricted from offering remote gambling at certain times or on certain days. The law places responsibility on operators to identify suspicious gambling patterns and report them, and it allows GRAI to set technical standards for games and software, including certification for B2B suppliers. Robust rules govern advertising, sponsorship and marketing, with tighter controls across TV, radio, on‑demand services, social platforms and electronic communications; inducements that push people to start or continue gambling are curtailed.

Player safety features are central. Credit‑card payments are prohibited, including electronic payment methods funded by credit cards, and operators must offer tools for you to set your own financial limits. Sites must provide prominent information on the signs and harms of excessive play, how to block access for yourself or a child, and where to find help. Ireland will operate a National Gambling Exclusion Register, run by GRAI, which online operators will have to check and respect; many operators also run their own self‑exclusion options. GRAI also encourages banks to offer card‑based gambling blocks, and major Irish banks and Revolut now provide such controls, giving another layer of protection alongside site‑level tools and self‑exclusion.

Enforcement is real. GRAI can warn, add or vary licence conditions, suspend or revoke a licence, and impose significant fines. Under the Act, penalties for serious breaches can reach up to €20 million or 10% of turnover, and the most serious offences, including failures around child protection, carry potential prison terms of up to eight years. GRAI’s overarching mission is to regulate the industry, protect the public from gambling harm, and raise awareness through research, education and its Social Impact Fund, which will be financed by levies on licensees.

On how well players are protected in disputes, it is important to set expectations. GRAI has stated it does not handle individual customer‑operator disputes. The authority will receive public complaints and, as the law’s provisions commence, will act on possible breaches of obligations—particularly around advertising and compliance—through supervision and enforcement, rather than acting as a personal arbitrator. For advertising complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority currently handles content issues, with GRAI to take on its role under the Act once relevant provisions are in force.

Limits and taxes

The regime requires that remote operators let you set your own monetary limits and that they send periodic account messages showing net spend, wins and losses, and time played. The sources do not state statutory maximum bet or deposit caps, and they do not set out how player winnings are taxed. If taxation or central limits matter to you, check the latest guidance from GRAI when licence conditions are published for online casinos.

How to check whether a casino holds an Irish licence

The Act provides for an official public register of licensed operators, and GRAI will phase in licensing and publish details as each phase opens. Until the new online‑casino licences are live, Ireland is in a transition period in which the existing permissions remain in place. GRAI’s overview of the phasing approach is here: GRAI licensing phasing, and its note on existing licensees and authorities is here: Existing licences during transition. If a brand is primarily a betting operator, you can check its remote betting permissions in the Revenue Commissioners’ monthly Register of Licensed Remote Bookmaking Operations: Revenue remote bookmaking register, where you can search by licensee or trading name. For casino products specifically, look to the operator’s own customer information and terms—under the Act they must provide key information—then cross‑check on GRAI’s register once the authority begins publishing online‑casino licences.

How to submit a complaint about an online casino licensed by GRAI

Your first step should always be to contact the casino’s customer support and follow its complaints process in full. After that, be aware that GRAI has stated it does not handle individual customer disputes. The authority will, however, consider complaints from the public related to regulatory obligations and, as the relevant provisions commence, it will take action on potential breaches, especially around advertising and compliance. You can reach GRAI via its general enquiries page here: GRAI — General enquiries, or by email at communications@grai.ie; for licensing queries, use licensing@grai.ie. For the time being, advertising-content complaints should be directed to the Advertising Standards Authority, while GRAI and the ASA coordinate as the new law comes into force. After you submit a complaint to GRAI, expect acknowledgment and, where appropriate, supervisory follow‑up; do not expect the regulator to arbitrate a refund or resolve your individual account dispute.