Ireland has taken a major step toward implementing its new gambling regulatory framework after Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan signed an order allowing the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) to begin issuing betting licences.
The commencement order, signed on 3 February and effective from 5 February 2026, activates key sections of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
It enables the GRAI to accept and process applications for both remote and in-person betting licences, alongside activating enforcement, oversight and complaints mechanisms that underpin the new system.
The order also brings into force provisions that amend and repeal legacy legislation. Notably, the Totalisator Act 1929 and the Betting Act 1931 will be repealed, formally replacing Ireland’s long-standing gambling laws with a consolidated regulatory regime designed to reflect modern gambling practices.
Under the new framework, the Authority will be able to issue licences to new market entrants as soon as practicable. Remote betting operators will be licensed from 1 July 2026, while in-person betting operators will transition to the new system from 1 December 2026, when existing licences issued by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners expire.
The Department of Justice said the Act equips the GRAI with enforcement powers to address non-compliance, including action against unlicensed operators, those operating without the appropriate licence, or licensees found to be in breach of regulatory conditions.
Announcing the commencement, Minister O’Callaghan said the reforms are intended to provide safeguards that address gambling-related harm, with particular emphasis on protecting children and vulnerable people.
The framework introduces a centralised regulator with powers covering licensing, compliance, supervision and enforcement across the sector.
The launch of licensing marks a practical transition from legislative reform to operational regulation, following the formal establishment of the GRAI and the publication of supporting research, guidance and preparatory work over the past year.
In January 2026, research commissioned by the GRAI and conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute found that adults exposed to gambling during childhood were significantly more likely to experience problem gambling later in life. The findings were cited as reinforcing the need for preventative regulation and stronger child protection measures within Ireland’s new framework.
Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority was established to oversee gambling and lottery activities under the 2024 Act, with responsibility for licensing, enforcement, public education and harm prevention across the sector
