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Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is introducing a phased, modern licensing framework led by the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which has launched a public consultation on draft regulations for Business-to-Consumer betting and gaming licences.
The Act is intended to provide a modern and robust regulatory and licensing framework for the Irish gambling sector. Read below the article from my Irish DLA Piper’s gambling law colleagues Michael Twomey, Gavin Woods and Des Cooke.
Establishment of Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI)
The Act is being commenced on a phased basis, with many provisions not yet in force. However, the provisions establishing Ireland’s new regulatory authority, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) were commenced on 4 March.
The GRAI will be responsible for regulating gambling activities in Ireland. It aims to provide a streamlined experience for the gambling industry, and will be the primary point of contact for licencing, supervision and enforcement under the Act. It has powers to make regulations in relation to the licensing of gambling activities.
Public consultation
This week, the GRAI has opened a public consultation on the initial licensing regulations it will introduce. The regulator’s priority is introducing the new licensing regime for Business-to-Consumer betting and gaming activities, and draft regulations on this topic and more are outlined in the consultation. Industry participants are encouraged to review and provide input on these drafts. However, submissions may be published, so stakeholders should state clearly if they intend for their submission to be confidential.
The main issues discussed in the consultation document are:
- Application fees: The GRAI propose to introduce a tiered application fee system based on annual turnover. The fee will increase in proportion with the operator’s annual turnover. There will be different terms for remote and in-person gambling licenses. Licensees will also be required to make annual contributions to the GRAI’s Social Impact Fund. The consultation notes that these details relate to fees for a new licence application. Once a licence is granted, the GRAI intends to levy a separate annual charge on licensees to fund its operations. Details of the annual fees have not been published at the time of writing.
- Duration of licences: Business to Consumer gambling licences are proposed to last for three years.
- Additional conditions: Several conditions for the granting of a licence as set out in the Act will not be checked during initial applications for licenses, as the relevant standards for these conditions will not have been set. These conditions relate to the software systems that gambling operators will be obliged to have in place.
Anticipated timeline
The consultation period will close on Monday, 5 May, with a view to opening initial applications for Business-to-Consumer licence applications for both remote and in-person betting operators in December 2025. This will be followed by applications for remote only gaming operators in the first quarter of 2026. The consultation does however note that these timelines are subject to change.
The GRAI anticipates that the application process will take several months to complete for licensees.
Conclusion
The GRAI envisages more consultations for further regulations as the Act is gradually commenced. Further information on these consultations will be available in due course.
The GRAI’s willingness to engage with stakeholders and operators at this stage of drafting demonstrates a desire to actively co-operate with the gambling industry, alongside its goal of creating a simplified regulatory framework that is effective and straightforward to interact it. Gambling operators should ensure that they review the GRAI’s draft regulations and use the consultation process to inform the regulator of any comments or concerns regarding the proposed reforms.
To learn more on the topic, I will be glad to introduce you to my Irish gambling law colleagues Michael Twomey, Gavin Woods and Des Cooke. Also, you can have an outline on the Irish gambling law regime in DLA Piper’s Gambling Laws of the World Guide available HERE and access further gambling law news HERE.