For more than a century, Betting in Ireland was regulated via the Betting Act of 1931. This formed as the backbone of gambling across the country, and for the most part, it proved highly successful, especially at the time. 

Formed long before the internet and the invention of smart phones and betting apps, the Betting Act of 1931 was primarily put in place to ensure that casinos and bookmakers in Ireland operated fairly, and that punters were treated fairly and not ripped off. 

As times moved by however, society evolved, and so did the gambling industry. Cracks gradually began to show and when online betting really took off, it was clear that more needed to be done. Black market gambling was becoming more prevalent, gambling addiction and problem gambling was more common, and we were hearing far too many stories about gamblers supposedly winning big, only to find that the bookmakers were withholding their winnings due to a ‘system error’ or some other convenient excuse to get out of paying their customers what they were owed. 

The solution? The largest gambling reform in the history of Ireland, the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, overseen via the GRAI (Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland).

Here’s what it means for Irish gamblers. 

What is the GRAI?

Officially established on the 5th of March, 2025, the GRAI was created via the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. 

The GRAI are the Irish government’s statutory body who are solely responsible for regulating the betting, gambling, and gaming sectors across Ireland. Their primary role is to ensure that betting in Ireland is carried out fairly and equally and is properly regulated. A quick look at some of the big bookmaker names on Scs.ie shows that many are names you’d recognize, regulated in the UK but also now under the GRAI, to bring safer betting to Irish customers.

They ensure that the correct standards and safety protocols are in place so that gamblers using Irish betting services get a fair, safe, and enjoyable betting experience. They also ensure that vulnerable users are not targeted or exploited. 

As well as ensuring that gamblers are treated fairly and are not exploited, they also aim to tackle black market gambling and ensure that gambling is not a source of income for criminal enterprises and society’s less savoury characters. 

They handle a wide range of responsibilities, including: 

• Marketing and advertising rules and regs 
• Overseeing licencing
• Player protection 
• Player support and exclusion 

How Can the GRAI Help Irish Gamblers?

Having recently gone operational, the GRAI is already making waves in Ireland’s gambling industry, and they’re just getting started. 

Many however, are sceptical and wonder how they will help Ireland’s gamblers, and indeed, what it is exactly that they do. The following should help clear that up. 

Advertising Restrictions 

One of the biggest changes you may have noticed recently, is the fact that there are fewer gambling adverts on the TV, on the radio, online, and on social media. This is down to the GRAI. 

New legislation means that, legally, gambling-related content cannot be broadcast or shown online, on the radio, on TV, or on social media between the hours of 5.30am and 9pm. Furthermore, we’ll see far fewer sporting events saturating their broadcasts with gambling-related adverts and marketing campaigns. 

The primary reason for this pre-watershed ban on gambling ads is to protect young children, and vulnerable individuals from the ill-effects of gambling and problem gambling. 

No More VIP Promos, Welcome Bonuses, or Offers

Another noticeable change is the banning of VIP promos, welcome bonuses, and special offers for new customers of gambling and betting sites. 

When online gambling first took off, welcome bonuses and special offers for new customers were everywhere, and were incredibly competitive. They were identified as a potential trigger for vulnerable users with gambling disorders. 

That doesn’t mean online casinos and betting sites are banned from ever providing special offers, it simply means they will be scaled back massively, and will be far less common. 

Stricter Payment Methods and Licencing Requirements 

Under new rules, betting operators in Ireland will be legally required to be licenced with the GRAI if they wish to offer any gambling-related services to Irish customers. 

This licence will be mandatory, and for companies failing to register and obtain the licence, incredibly strict penalties will be enforced, and there will even be the prospect of criminal charges. Put simply, if you provide gambling-related services in Ireland, you will need to get a licence, or face the consequences. 

The GRAI have also banned credit cards, and credit in general, as a payment method for gambling. This is designed to protect players and prevent them from getting into debt.

Disrupting Black Market Gambling 

With black market gambling on the rise, users of black market betting sites have no protection and leave themselves vulnerable to all manner of different types of fraud. The GRAI however, intends to change that. 

By conducting their own investigations, and working in collaboration with other governing bodies, they aim to disrupt black market gambling operators, with the ultimate goal of bringing black market betting sites down for good. 

Creating the National Gambling Exclusion Register 

Finally, thanks to the National Gambling Exclusion Register, players concerned about their gambling habits will have the option to self-exclude themselves from all licenced online operators in Ireland simultaneously, instead of doing it one site at a time. 

Registered operators must pay into this scheme and will be responsible for taking reasonable steps to stop a previously registered player, should they attempt to gamble. Failing to do so will result in fines, penalties, and potential legal issues. Gambling operators found to be in breach of the register, perhaps by sending marketing material to a player on the register, will also face severe consequences. The GRAI really aren’t messing around here.