Irish regulator opens public consultation over new licence model 

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has opened its first consultation since its establishment, as the body looks for stakeholder feedback on licensing regulations. 

The consultation period began yesterday, 7 April, and will run for a month before closing at 5pm on 5 May. 

All relevant groups within the industry, including operators and members of the general public, have been encouraged by GRAI to weigh in on the topic. 

The authority has been entrusted to oversee the regulated market in Ireland since 5 March this year, spearheaded by chairman Paul Quinn and CEO Anne-Marie Caulfield, as a result of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which also aims to launch the new licensing framework by 2026. 

As explained in GRAI’s consultation form, the regulator possesses the power to issue three different forms of licence: B2C, B2B for technology suppliers and licences for companies looking to offer “betting, gaming, or lottery activities for charitable and philanthropic purposes”. 

The new licensing measures are set to be introduced on a phased basis, with the first set of regulations expected to confirm the application fee.

The fee must be paid in full when each application is submitted, and companies can apply for more than one licence at a time. 

GRAI has confirmed it is likely to propose a tiered fixed-fee system for the cost of the licences, related to both the type of licence and the respective applicant’s turnover. 

Draft regulations have proposed annual turnover brackets ranging from below €249,999 (£214,200) to above €200m, with corresponding fees for each bracket.

For companies that secure a licence, an additional fee to cover the regulator’s operational costs and an annual contribution to the nation’s social impact fund will also be required. 

All companies currently operating in Ireland are expected to re-apply for new licences that will be activated next year. 

Soon after, GRAI will reveal how long each licence will last, followed by the third and final announcement that will cover additional conditions. 

For all B2C licences, GRAI has noted it intends to “set a period of three years” of validity before the need for renewal. 

GRAI said it anticipates the licence application process “will take many months”.

The regulator also noted that its current plan is to “first open for business to consumer betting licence applications in December 2025 (both in person and remote)” and be “followed by opening for gaming licence applications (remote only) towards the end of the first quarter of 2026”, though that timeline could change. 

Each applicant will be subjected to “various checks” to ensure sufficient due diligence is conducted before a licence is granted. 

Meanwhile, Ireland’s new market structure has received the support of the Gambling Commission (GC), with the pair recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will foster a collaborative working approach between the two authorities. 

Expected to be the first of several MoUs signed by GRAI and other European nations in the coming months, the GC and GRAI have also discussed other regulatory issues, including compliance, monitoring and enforcement. 

CEO Caulfield said: “This MoU with the Gambling Commission is an important step in formalising the working relationship between the two regulators.”