Ireland’s Betting Industry Faces a Rulebook Rewrite as New Licensing Begins

Ireland’s betting sector has entered its biggest regulatory change in decades as a new national authority is accepting licence applications and the old revenue-led framework is being dismantled. Operators are now facing closer examination of ownership, customer accounts, advertising and financial controls, while several measures will arrive through a phased timetable.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland opened its application portal on 9 February 2026 for remote betting, remote betting intermediary and in-person betting licences. It can issue remote licences from 1 July, while the move for existing shop-based operators is tied to the expiry of Revenue-issued licences on 1 December.

A Licensing System Built for the Current Market

The previous framework was rooted in the Betting Act 1931, written long before mobile accounts, instant payments and round-the-clock digital services. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 replaces that fragmented arrangement with a central regulator covering betting, gaming and certain lottery activities.

Under the new structure, any company providing betting activities in Ireland needs the appropriate business-to-consumer licence. Separate categories currently apply to in-person betting, remote betting and remote betting intermediaries and licences are issued for three years rather than continuing indefinitely.

The change affects established bookmakers and digital operators serving the market. A player accessing TonyBet Ireland, for example, will encounter the kind of combined online service that regulation now has to address: account registration, payments, sportsbook markets and casino-style games delivered through one digital interface. The regulatory question extends well beyond whether bets are settled correctly. It also covers who controls the business, how accounts are managed and whether customer protections operate across the platform.

Applications require detailed information on account officers, relevant officers and beneficial owners. Prospective licensees must also publish a notice of intent and provide supporting documents through the regulator’s portal. Incomplete ownership or governance records can delay assessment.

The Handover Changes More Than the Name on a Licence

Revenue previously issued bookmaker and remote bookmaker licences. It will continue collecting applicable betting duties, but responsibility for issuing new betting licences moved to the GRAI in February. Applications lodged with Revenue before 5 February can still be handled under the old legislation.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland now combines licensing with oversight, complaints and enforcement functions. It can investigate compliance and take action against businesses operating without the correct authorisation. Any business found to be providing a gambling activity without a required licence can lead to prosecution, financial penalties and, in serious cases, imprisonment.

For operators, the application is therefore only the opening stage. Policies written for approval must also function during ordinary trading. Payment systems, account records, customer communications and suspicious-activity procedures need to produce evidence that can withstand regulatory review.

Payments and Customer Accounts Face New Controls

Measures commenced alongside the licensing framework include a prohibition on the use of credit cards as a gambling payment method. Remote providers must also allow customers to set monetary limits and follow rules governing online accounts, account closure and the return of customer funds.

These requirements turn account design into a regulatory function. A monetary limit has to be easy to set and technically reliable. A closed account must be handled consistently across payments, marketing and customer support. Suspicious activity must reach the appropriate team rather than sitting unnoticed in a disconnected system.

The 2024 Act also provides for a National Gambling Exclusion Register and a Social Impact Fund. Their main operation depends on phased implementation and supporting regulatory work, so operators will need to follow commencement orders and GRAI guidance instead of assuming every provision in the Act already applies in full.

Advertising Rules Will Alter Commercial Planning

The new legislation gives the regulator extensive authority over gambling advertising. It provides for clear identification of gambling adverts, mandatory warnings and restrictions on content that encourages excessive gambling or presents participation as a means to an end for those in financial distress.

It also sets a broadcast and on-demand advertising watershed between 5.30am and 9pm. Social media marketing is restricted unless a person has an account on the platform and has subscribed to the operator’s content. Targeted inducements are prohibited under the new framework.

The practical effect will depend on when relevant obligations apply to each licensed operator. The GRAI has stressed that obligations attach on a phased basis as businesses enter the new licensing system. Marketing departments will need to check commencement status, licence conditions and formal guidance rather than relying on the broad wording of a press summary.

Ireland’s new regulator is no longer a future proposal. Applications are open, remote licensing has started and the transition for in-person operators is approaching. The next test concerns implementation: how quickly licences are processed, how consistently rules are enforced and whether the new safeguards operate as intended once the industry completes its move from a 1931 framework to a modern national system.