The shop door is now open in the Republic of Ireland after officials signed an order to begin issuing remote and in-person gaming licences as part of the overhaul of the country’s gambling legislation.
Jim O’Callaghan, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, yesterday (3 January) signed the order which brings into effect “key aspects” of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 – the all-encompassing legislation passed by Ireland’s Parliament which seeks to replace the country’s previous fragmented regulatory framework.
In particular, the Irish government notes that this section of the act repeals the Totaliser Act 1929 and the Betting Act 1931.
Beginning 5 February, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) will be able to start accepting applications from prospective licensees, issue licences for new entrants “as soon as feasible, and issue licences for current remote and in-person operators when their existing licences expire on 1 July 2026 and 1 December 2026, respectively.
“Today marks another important step towards replacing Ireland’s outdated gambling laws with a streamlined and simplified licensing framework,” said Callaghan.
“This reflects the nature of modern gambling and takes into account the harms associated with problem gambling, by providing safeguards to protect people from those harms, especially children.”
Alongside the licensing green light, O’Callaghan’s signature has also elevated a myriad of enforcement and oversight mechanisms included in the Gambling Act.
These include prohibiting the use of credit cards as a means of payment for gambling, the ability for players to set monetary limits, obligations on licensees to notify GRAI of suspicious gambling activity and safeguards for account holders, such as the ability of the GRAI to limit the amount of money that may be lodged witha licensee.
The Commencement Order grants investigative powers to GRAI, and allows for sanctions of fines up to €20m or 10% of a licensee’s turnover, whichever is greater.
“The Act provides the Authority with the necessary enforcement powers to take appropriate and focused action where licensees fail to comply with licensing terms, conditions and regulations, and to deal with unlicensed operators, those operating without the correct licence, or those in contravention of the terms of a licence issued by the Authority,” added O’Callaghan.
As of yet, authorities in Ireland have not confirmed the structure of licensing fees for operators.
However, a tiered structure based on a hybrid of turnover and GGY is being considered following consultation with key stakeholders, who expressed concerns that basing fees solely on turnover failed to acknowledge the “differentiation in the margins earned through different operator and game types”, penalising businesses that have low margins.
Once finalised by GRAI, a formal notification of the regulation will be sent to the European Commission, member states, and the public under the Technical Regulation Information System, which is a standard procedural requirement for technical regulations, ensuring regulatory coherence across the European Union.
iGaming Expert Analysis: This is a landmark moment for Ireland’s gambling sector; it marks a key modernisation in player protections and safer gambling frameworks. Most importantly, though, bolsters the enforcement of the country’s gambling regulations and ensures that those operating outside of the rules will suffer sanctions.
