Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland

Recognising the need to prevent gambling harm and to regulate the industry, the Oireachtas passed the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to establish a new independent statutory authority, Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann or the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.

Once established, the GRAI will have the power to license, monitor and oversee the provision of gambling activities in Ireland and will develop and set standards for gambling products and services.

With a focus on public safety and well-being, GRAI will regulate gambling online and in person, with the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps. Its establishment will be an important development in ensuring a well-regulated gambling sector while protecting the public from gambling harms.

Ms Anne Marie Caulfield has been appointed CEO Designate of the GRAI and is preparing for the establishment of the Authority.

Recruitment is underway to appoint a seven-person authority at the GRAI and a number of other posts have been sanctioned and filled to date, with Directors in situ in areas including Licencing, Corporate Services and ICT.

A Programme Board has been established in the Department to ensure that the legislation and the operational preparations are progressed in parallel so that the Authority commences operations as soon as possible.

Further details on the role and work of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland can be found on its website www.grai.ie.

In October 2024, the Gambling Regulation Act passed both Houses of the Oireachtas and was signed into law by the President.

The legislation sets out the framework and legislative basis for the establishment of a new, independent statutory body – Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland – and for a modern and robust licencing and regulatory framework for both in-person and online gambling.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 provides for the establishment and operation of the National Gambling Exclusion Register and introduces tight restrictions on the advertisement of gambling activities.

It also provides for the creation of a Social Impact Fund to support awareness–raising and educational measures and to support problem gambling treatment activities.

The Act contains a suite of measures to address illegal or criminal gambling activity and includes explicit prohibitions on illegal activity or practices, some of which could result in significant custodial sentences.

The Gambling Regulation Act and related documents can be accessed at the links below:

• Gambling Regulation Act;
• Regulatory Impact Analysis – Gambling Regulation Bill;
• Inter-Departmental Working Group on Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling;
• Final report on the establishment of a modern regulatory environment and authority for all gambling activities licensed in Ireland (Facilitated with the financial support of the European Commission Directorate General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM)).

Information on external support services is included at the following link:

• Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland

June 2023 ESRI Report - Problem Gambling: A Narrative Review of Important Policy-Relevant Issues

• This is the first in a series of studies that the ESRI was commissioned to undertake through the Department of Justice and the Implementation Team supporting the establishment of Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).

October 2023: ESRI Report - Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland

• The main aim of the Problem Gambling ESRI Study on Problem Gambling, undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute, is to measure the prevalence of Problem Gambling in Ireland. Secondary aims of the research include providing measures of gambling activity and perceptions of gambling among the general population.

June 2024: ESRI Working Paper: Childhood Gambling Experiences and Adult Problem Gambling

• The findings of this study: ESRI: Childhood Gambling Experiences and Adult Problem Gambling adds to the weight of evidence pointing towards a link between childhood experiences of gambling and problem gambling in adulthood. This in turn illustrated the importance of minimising the exposure of children to gambling in order to reduce their risk of developing problem gambling.

If you would like to contact the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, please use the e-mail address below: