Online Casinos in Ireland

The Legal Position

Online casino games cannot yet be licensed in Ireland. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created a modern licensing regime that includes a remote gaming licence, but the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is opening licence types in stages and gaming is not in the first stages. Operators that accept players in Ireland today hold licences issued in other jurisdictions rather than an Irish one.

Who Regulates It and Under What Law

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, which calls itself GRAI, was formally established in March 2025 and its role is to licence, supervise and control gambling activities as set out in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It describes itself as Ireland's new regulator for gambling, gaming, betting and certain lottery activities. Obligations under the Act apply to licence holders once they become licensed by GRAI.

How Licensing Works

Under section 86 of the Act the Authority prescribes the list of games a gaming licensee may provide and may issue an in-person gaming licence, a remote gaming licence, or an in-person and remote gaming licence. In terms of opening for applications the Authority is taking a phased approach to the different types. Remote betting and betting intermediary licences issued by GRAI commenced on 1 July 2026, and GRAI states that it is a criminal offence to operate without a betting licence. Applications for the remaining types, including gaming, lotteries, business to business, charitable and philanthropic, are to open across 2027 and 2028.

The Minimum Age

The Act sets the age at 18. A person who has attained the age of 18 years may apply to a licensee of a remote gambling licence to open a gambling account, and the licensee must not open one unless the person has attained that age and the licensee has verified both identity and age.

What Recently Changed

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 replaced a position in which online gaming had no Irish licensing regime at all. The Authority was established in March 2025, published its first annual report for that year, and brought the largest segment of the market, remote betting, under licence first. Until the gaming phase opens, no operator can describe itself as holding an Irish online casino licence.