A New Era for Gambling in Ireland: Key Regulation Changes Explained

Key Changes 

Slot machines, roulettes, blackjacks; the lot. Irish players are showing their love for casino games, and online casinos are meeting those demands with eye-catching graphics and immersive gameplay experiences. As such, a call to action has been put in place to make sure these habits are being monitored for the protection of operators and their customers. The GRAI has begun its efforts to reform the industry in Ireland by ensuring that every operator is licensed under their new guidelines. Beginning in March 2025, the first batch of operators filed their applications to be able to continue in the country. 

To obtain a license from the newly formed GRAI, the regulators have detailed that operators must pass all of the following checks:

• Corporate Check - reviewing the top-level executives and key decision makers from each operator. 

• Financial Check - examining the business plan and overall organisation of any application to an online or on-site casino.  

• Technical Check - evaluating all systems used by the operator (encryption technologies, firewall protections, anti-fraud & anti-money laundering tools, two-factor authentication, secure payment gateways and more).
  

Once an operator successfully meets these requirements, the GRAI will issue a new license, allowing them to continue offering services to Irish casino players.

Long Term Plan 

GRAI outlined its plans over the next few years, beginning with what Irish casino players can expect between now and the end of 2025. 

Right now, the regulatory authority is solely focused on two objectives:

1. Protect children

2. Protect individuals from problem gambling

The new GRAI CEO, Anne-Marie Caulfield, outlined further changes like a watershed period to prevent gambling-related advertisements between 5:30-9 pm. Long gone are the days when operators were able to target individuals or groups with offers only to display them in a public setting. Further afield, the GRAI plans to ensure all operators are fully approved under the new regulations by the start of 2026, whilst they are already working on phases to ensure licenses are handed to charities and business-to-business operations by 2027. 

Challenges 

Undoubtedly, the GRAI faces major challenges. The gambling industry has its secrets, and people exploit them. That’s why the new regulators have outlined plans to raise awareness of illegal casino sites and warn against handing bank details to those whilst planning to get those flagged sites banned. They’ve also announced plans to work with banks to be able to block payments going to illegal sites whilst working with search engine experts to ensure these sites are non-existent on online searches. 

Cameron Murphy's Take

As someone who's been in the online casino space a long time, I see these new rules as a much needed step forward. The industry has evolved fast and it's about time the laws caught up. With GRAI in the driver's seat, we’re finally getting clear guidelines that protect players and help legit operators do things right.

It won’t be smooth sailing because change never is but this is the right direction. And for those of us who care about making online casinos safer, fairer and more future proof, it’s a welcome move.