- Bookie Ledger
- Is this betting site licensed in Ireland? Start here
- The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and online betting: the parts in force
Regulation
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and online betting: the parts in force
The parts of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 that govern online betting licensing took effect on 5 February 2026 under S.I. 31/2026: licensing, the ban on children, licence-number display, player-set limits, the credit card ban and age checks. Not in force on 21 October 2026, the date of our latest table: the national self-exclusion register, advertising rules, inducements and sponsorship. This is not legal advice.
What is the Act, and who runs it?
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (No. 35 of 2024) was signed on 23 October 2024. It created the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which was established on 5 March 2025.
The Act comes into force section by section through commencement orders. That is why one Act can have sections in force and sections that are not.
Bottom line: one Act, switched on in stages by orders.
Which sections apply to online betting today?
On 3 February 2026 the Minister signed S.I. 31/2026, which took effect on 5 February 2026. The table lists the sections that matter for a betting site reader.
| Section | What it does, in our summary | Status on 7 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| s.67(1), (4) | Betting for customers in Ireland needs a licence. Betting without one is an offence, with up to 8 years on indictment | In force |
| s.75 | The GRAI can ask the High Court to act against unlicensed betting and against advertising of it | In force since 5 February 2026 |
| s.110 | A licensee shows a copy of its licence and its number on each online platform, and its number in its advertising | In force since 5 February 2026 |
| s.111(2) | Presenting yourself as a licensee when you are not is an offence | In force |
| s.158 | Children, meaning anyone under 18, may not take part | In force since 5 February 2026 |
| s.164 | A player can set a monetary limit on taking part | In force |
| s.165 | Credit cards, and e-methods funded from credit cards, are banned | In force since 5 February 2026 |
| s.169 | Identity and age are checked before an account opens | In force since 5 February 2026 |
| s.206(1) | Administrative fines on licensees of up to €20 million or 10% of turnover, whichever is greater | In force |
Three of these have their own pages: the licence number rule, the credit card ban and the legality overview.
Bottom line: licensing, age, limits, licence numbers and the credit card ban already apply.
Which sections are not in force yet?
| Section | Subject | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ss.44 to 49 | National Gambling Exclusion Register | Not yet commenced |
| ss.143 to 151 | Advertising, including mandatory wording (s.144), social media (s.146) and e-mail and SMS (s.147) | Not yet commenced |
| s.157 | Inducements | Not yet commenced |
| s.159 | Sponsorship | Not yet commenced |
| s.67(2), (3) and s.86 | Licensing of casino-type gaming and lotteries | Not yet commenced |
Orders signed after 21 October 2026 may not appear in that table. We could not verify any on 7 November 2026, so a newer order is possible.
Bottom line: the exclusion register, advertising rules, inducements and sponsorship are still switched off.
What does this mean for you?
Before you deposit, look for the licence number on the operator's site and match it to the GRAI register. The steps are in how to check a licence.
Self-exclusion is not yet national. Use the operator's own tool, a bank gambling block, BetBlocker or GamBan. The advertising rules in force today are explained on the advertising rules page.
Bottom line: check the licence yourself; the exclusion and advertising sections cannot be relied on yet.
What are the limits of this page?
We read the Act and the commencement table. We do not interpret how a court would apply a section, and this is not legal advice.
Other 2026 orders and regulations exist. S.I. 304/2026 of 30 June 2026 commenced ss.51, 54 and 55 on the Social Impact Fund. Regulations on identity and age checks (S.I. 315/2026, adopted 6 July 2026) apply to operators.
Bottom line: this is a reading of the texts, not advice, and newer orders may exist.
Sources
- Gambling Regulation Act 2024: Irish Statute Book.
- Commencement table, updated to 21 October 2026: Irish Statute Book.
- S.I. 31/2026: Irish Statute Book.
- S.I. 304/2026: Irish Statute Book.
- GRAI news of 1 July 2026, first remote betting licences: grai.ie.
Bottom line: every row above can be checked against the Statute Book.
What changed
7 November 2026: first version. The move of licensing from Revenue to the GRAI has its own note: Revenue to GRAI.
Bottom line: first version, no earlier history.
Common questions
Is online betting licensed in Ireland?
Yes. Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, betting for customers in Ireland needs a licence from the GRAI. The GRAI issued its first remote betting licences on 1 July 2026.
Is there a national self-exclusion register yet?
No. Sections 44 to 49 were not in force in the commencement table we read, which was updated to 21 October 2026. Self-exclusion today is through the operator, a bank block, BetBlocker or GamBan.
Are the advertising sections of the Act in force?
No. Sections 143 to 151 were not in force on 21 October 2026. Advertising is covered today by the ASA Code, and the Act's section 75 already lets the GRAI act against advertising of unlicensed betting.
Where to go next
- Online betting in Ireland: what is legal, who regulates it and how to tell
- Must a licensed betting site show its licence number? Section 110
- Can you bet with a credit card in Ireland? What section 165 says
- Why you see Ad on betting links: ASA rules and the Act's advertising sections
- Checking a betting site's licence on the GRAI register, step by step
- Remote betting licences: from Revenue to the GRAI in mid-2026