The Bank of Ireland, which is one of the country’s biggest retail banks, has announced it will now offer gambling block facilities to those who wish to use the service.
This comes after the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has spent the past number of months engaging with relevant people to encourage as many banks as possible to implement this facility as a consumer protection measure.
The feature is for those who are suffering from gambling harm or those who want to take a break from gambling.
Alongside the Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Banks, EBS and Revolut offer this too. Within the news release, the GRAI states they “expect that other main banks will also offer this facility in the future.”
This is in addition to the many licensed operators which run their own exclusion schemes for customers who want to take a step back. It’s through the newly established GRAI that a ‘National Gambling Exclusion Register’ will be founded and administered.
A number of banks now having a gambling block feature
“The establishment of a National Gambling Exclusion Register is an important step forward in helping people experiencing gambling harm,” the regulatory body said.
“At present the GRAI is in the process of advancing IT systems and arrangements to support the technical side of the Register.”
It was only in March when the authority was created, with seven people appointed at the beginning of the month.
The new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland was formally established today by Minister @OCallaghanJim
Read more belowhttps://t.co/0TM1pyzu4W pic.twitter.com/3rriWmxgWR
— Department of Justice (@DeptJusticeIRL) March 4, 2025
It was upon the creation that Minister O’ Callaghan remarked it would be “a new era for the regulation of gambling in the Irish State.
“The establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is a further step towards replacing Ireland’s outdated gambling laws with a streamlined and simplified licensing framework, which will reflect the nature of modern gambling and take into account the harms associated with problem gambling, providing safeguards to protect people from those harms, especially children.”
The GRAI says it is now focusing on getting the National Gambling Exclusion Register developed and in place so that it can be operational as soon as possible.
Featured Image: Credit to Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland
