Ireland’s new gambling regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), has moved from set-up to active regulation after Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD signed a Commencement Order bringing key parts of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 into effect on Thursday, 5 February 2026. The order activates the legal basis for licensing, oversight, complaints handling and enforcement, while also commencing provisions that amend and repeal parts of Ireland’s legacy framework, including the Totalisator Act 1929 and the Betting Act 1931.
The GRAI confirmed it will begin accepting applications for in-person betting, remote betting, and remote betting intermediary licences from Monday, 9 February 2026, with operators directed to use its Operator Portal to register and start the application process. The regulator said applications will be assessed through a centralised system, with suitability checks and vetting before any licence is granted.
For operators already active in Ireland, the government’s timeline is explicit: the Minister stated the Authority can issue licences for new entrants as soon as feasible, will license remote operators from 1 July 2026, and will license in-person operators from 1 December 2026, aligning with the expiry of certain existing licences issued by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The GRAI has also advised current licensees to continue renewing under the existing Revenue regime while transition arrangements are finalised, with further phasing detail to follow.
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The Commencement Order also equips the GRAI with a meaningful enforcement toolkit from day one. The government confirmed the Authority now has robust investigative powers and can impose administrative sanctions of up to €20 million or 10% of a licensee’s turnover (whichever is greater). It can also pursue court orders directing illegal operators to cease, and the Act provides for licence suspension/revocation and criminal prosecution in serious cases.
Operationally, the same commencement package signals what operators should be building into compliance roadmaps ahead of licensing decisions: a prohibition on the use of credit cards for gambling, customer tools to set monetary limits for remote play, duties to notify the regulator of suspicious gambling activity, and strengthened requirements to protect children online and in premises. The GRAI notes obligations will apply to licence holders on a phased basis as they become licensed, and it is also establishing independent adjudication and appeals mechanisms around sanctions.
