GRAI sets 2025–2027 strategy to regulate Ireland’s gambling market

Ireland’s gambling industry is preparing for a major regulatory shift as the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) sets out a three-year plan to introduce a phased licensing regime, compliance inspections, and enforcement mechanisms under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.

The strategy, covering 2025 to 2027, outlines how the independent regulator will oversee betting, gaming, and lottery operations while funding public protection initiatives through a Social Impact Fund of at least €14 million.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 provides the legal framework for the GRAI, which became a statutory body in March 2025. Operating as an independent, self-financing regulator under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, the Authority is mandated to license, supervise, and enforce gambling activities in Ireland.

The Statement of Strategy sets six focus areas: Licensing; Monitoring and Compliance; Enforcement; Consumer Protection and Awareness; People, Organisation and Governance; and Digital First. The plan details objectives and deliverables for each area, guiding the Authority’s work through 2027.

Under the Licensing goal, the GRAI will phase in licenses for business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), charitable, and philanthropic gambling operations. Each applicant will undergo background checks, financial assessments, and compliance reviews. The Authority will maintain a public registry of licensed entities and establish transparent fee structures to support its self-financing model within three years.

The Monitoring and Compliance program will introduce systematic inspections beginning July 2026. This includes routine and targeted investigations supported by data analytics to assess adherence to licensing conditions. The Authority will publish performance metrics and reports on compliance activities to monitor progress in reducing gambling harms.

For Enforcement, GRAI will develop an investigative and prosecution framework, including an Investigations Unit and a Civil and Criminal Enforcement Unit by the third quarter of 2026. These divisions will manage administrative sanctions, adjudications, and criminal prosecutions for breaches of the Act. The Authority will also establish frameworks to address anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), and sports integrity obligations.

The strategy includes new consumer protection measures, notably the National Gambling Exclusion Register, which will allow individuals to self-exclude from online gambling activities. The Social Impact Fund, financed by levies on licensed operators and expected to reach €14 million annually, will support addiction treatment, education, and research on gambling harms.

“The Statement of Strategy outlines the vision, mission, and values of the Regulator through to 2027,” said Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the GRAI. “Each goal within the Strategy outlines a thorough approach to our main functions, from building a robust licensing regime that will ensure operators are consistently adhering to standards to supporting research and educational initiatives that enhance our capabilities as a Regulator.”

Paul Quinn, Chairperson of the GRAI, stated that the Authority’s mandate is “to ensure that gambling in Ireland is conducted in a safe, fair, and transparent manner.” He added that establishing licensing, compliance, and enforcement functions “is central to reducing the likelihood of gambling harms and will underpin a well-regulated gambling market in Ireland.”

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD described the strategy as “an important milestone for the Authority, the gambling sector in Ireland and for the wider public,” adding that it aims to protect those vulnerable to gambling harm and promote integrity in industry operations.