Key points:
- The GRAI has announced the opening of a public consultation period
- Stakeholders and members of the public can now submit their opinions on Ireland’s newly proposed gambling licence process
- The public consultation is set to last until the 5 May
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has announced the opening of its official public licensing consultation period, which will allow for submissions from stakeholders until 5 May 2025.
Indeed, both gambling operators and members of the general public can now submit their views to the GRAI with regard to Ireland’s new gambling licensing process which, following the passing of a new Gambling Bill in the nation in October 2024, is broken down into B2C, B2B and charitable licence categories.
Further, the newly established regulatory body has announced that the offering of new licences to operators wishing to enter the Irish market will be undertaken in phases. As such, B2C licence applications will be opened for both in person and remote operators in December 2025. Following on from this, remote only gaming licence applications will be accepted towards the end of Q1 2026. However, the GRAI has also noted that this predicted timeline is subject to change.
Following this consultation period, the GRAI has set out its intention to form multiple sets of regulations including ones pertaining to application and licensing fees and tax rates, alongside the duration of licences. Therefore, this consultation offers members of the public and the industry an opportunity to submit their respective views on any proposed legislative changes.
Good to know: Ireland announced the formation of the GRAI in October 2024 following the signing of its Gambling Regulation Act
Following the implementation of the Act, concerns were raised by industry operator Flutter with relation to the potential impact the regulation may have on the horseracing industry as well as the rise of black market operations.
Elsewhere, the Northern Ireland Assembly’s All-Party Group (APG) on Reducing Harm Related to Gambling began to apply pressure on Westminster in November to introduce comprehensive regulatory reform on gambling advertising in the region.
