The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland began accepting B2C betting licence applications through its online portal on 9 February 2026. The first remote betting licences will issue from 1 July 2026. The Authority will end the legacy Revenue Commissioner permission regime for in-person operators on 1 December 2026. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan signed the commencement order in early February 2026 that triggered the licensing window. Applications run on a rolling basis.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created the Gambling Regulatory Authority and the consolidated licensing categories. Part 3 sets the licence classes covering in-person betting, remote betting, remote betting intermediary, gaming, lottery, and licences for charitable and philanthropic purposes. Part 6 carries the enforcement architecture, including fines of up to 20 million euros or 10 percent of annual turnover, whichever is higher, for licensee breaches. Part 4 carries advertising, sponsorship, and inducement restrictions that apply to all licensees.
Online sportsbook operators, B2C bookmakers, betting exchanges, and betting intermediaries serving Irish customers must hold a GRAI licence to continue trading after the transition. Affiliates, marketing partners, white-label suppliers, and payment processors should map the contractual chain to the new licensing categories. The advertising regime stops inducements, free-bet offers conditioned on deposits, and sponsorship of children's events. Operators must build responsible-gambling tools and integrate with the National Gambling Exclusion Register.
Remote gaming licence applications open at a later stage in 2026; B2B gambling and charitable licences open later still. Existing Irish bookmaker permit holders should map the timing of their existing Revenue Commissioner permission expiry against the GRAI application cycle to avoid trading without a valid authorisation. The Authority publishes guidance on the application portal, ownership disclosure, fitness and probity, and source of funds.
Licentium advises betting operators, B2B suppliers, and white-label partners on GRAI applications, advertising compliance, and responsible gambling programme design. Our partner network includes Irish-licensed counsel for filings with the Authority. Contact our team to scope your Irish market entry. Work we undertake includes GRAI licence applications, fitness and probity questionnaires, ownership disclosure mapping, advertising and inducement audits, and self-exclusion register integration.
Source: Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland to begin issuing licences, press release citing the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/news/gambling-regulatory-authority-of-ireland-to-begin-issuing-licences/, confirmed 21 May 2026.
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