Licensing Ireland’s highly profitable gambling industry under strict new regulations is reportedly not expected to begin until the middle of 2026, more than a year after the new regulatory body was established.
According to The Journal, the Social Impact Fund, which is meant to support services for people affected by problem gambling and will be funded through licence fees, fines, and penalties, will not operate until the first companies are officially registered.
The Gambling Regulation Authority of Ireland (GRAI) will be responsible for issuing licences and collecting money for the fund. Although the authority has been set up, no clear start date was given when it was created.
In March, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan appointed the authority’s leadership, including senior civil servant Paul Quinn as chair.
The GRAI was delighted to welcome Minister @OCallaghanJim and Minister of State @NiallCollinsTD to officially open our new offices on Thursday, 15 May.
Their support will help us to fulfil our mandate to regulate the gambling sector and educate the public about gambling harm. pic.twitter.com/htl2eCuGip
— Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (@GambRegIRL) May 19, 2025
Despite these developments, Ireland’s multibillion-euro gambling industry is still not covered by the new laws and will remain that way until sometime next year.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Mark Wall, O’Callaghan said that getting the Social Impact Fund up and running is a “key priority” for the GRAI, which is expected to have 35 staff members in place by the end of the year. A consultation on the fund just recently wrapped up.
Wall, who frequently speaks out on gambling reform, raised concerns about the delay. He pointed out recent findings showing that more than 20% of Irish 16-year-olds have gambled in the past year. Wall urged the government to treat the launch of the Social Impact Fund as a top priority, saying it’s essential to address what he sees as a growing issue among young people.
A reminder if it was needed that we need to see gambling legislation through both houses of the Oireachtas urgently https://t.co/SXhUxwQlye
— Mark Wall TD (@MarkWall1) February 20, 2023
Wall told the news outlet, “People who are dealing with gambling addiction desperately need the Social Impact Fund operational as soon as possible.
“This is not just a statistic; it’s a reflection of the real and growing crisis affecting our youth,” Wall continued.
O’Callaghan explained to the Kildare South TD that licence holders will contribute to the fund through a percentage of their annual turnover.
“Public and private bodies which support people with experience of gambling harm and/or gambling addiction through treatment will also benefit from the fund,” O’Callaghan added.
Staffing levels of GRAI expected to increase
In a statement obtained by ReadWrite, the GRAI stated that its formation followed the enactment of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 in October of the previous year. They stressed that “obligations which will be regulated by the GRAI are applied to licensees,” meaning the authority cannot fully function until licensing begins.
To achieve this, they pointed out the need for cooperation from existing licensing bodies, such as Revenue and the Courts Service. The GRAI says it plans to open for licensing in late 2025 and is “making steady progress toward this goal,” adopting a phased approach.
Phase one will address onsite and remote betting, followed by remote gaming in phase two, and finally, a broader range of activities including onsite gaming, lotteries, charitable gambling, and B2B operations in phase three.
They also noted that they “must comply with the terms of existing licences and can only issue new licences once those existing licences expire,” a standard practice in transitioning to a new regime. In addition, they reported “substantial progress” on secondary legislation to support the Act, showcasing a recent public consultation on licensing regulations and indicating that further consultations are expected.
Once the GRAI begins its work, staffing levels are expected to grow throughout 2026 and 2027, as the new laws gradually come into full effect.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 includes several major changes. This includes a ban on offering free bets to individual users, a ban on using credit cards to deposit money into gambling accounts, and tighter rules around advertising.
Gaming companies will also be required to verify users’ identities by asking for photo ID. In addition, it will become a criminal offence for anyone to set up a gambling account on behalf of someone under 18.
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