On the 15th of October, we got an insight into what the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) plans to achieve in the next few years. They set out a range of priorities they aim to tackle, such as streamlining licensing and adapting legislation for the modern digital world.
They haven’t held back on recognising that not enough is being done to ensure Irish players’ safety, so what measures are in place at the moment, and what could we see in the future?
How has the Regulation of Gambling Changed Recently?
Prior to 2024, gambling regulation in Ireland was outdated, based on acts dating back to the early- and mid-20th century. The main legislation was the Betting Act of 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956, neither of which mentioned online gambling, of course.¹ They also hadn’t seen much change since their introductions, and both were utterly inadequate when it came to regulating the digital world. As a result, Ireland’s legislation was seen as pretty lax, especially for the online sector.
How did Regulation Work?
Before the recent changes, Ireland’s regulation was viewed by many as unnecessarily confusing. It was separated into individual bodies that oversaw the different specialities of gambling, dividing them into groups such as sports betting and online casinos. Even individual games, including lotteries and bingo, could fall into different categories. That made things pretty confusing for providers when it came to obtaining a licence, especially if a provider offered multiple different gambling types.
There also weren’t many regulations to speak of when it came to things like advertising on social media, and as a result, platforms were rife with ads. Research by the Committee of Advertising Practice found that young people were only able to correctly classify 43% of marketing they saw as ads.² With the five largest betting operators in the UK putting up 19,100 posts on X within just eight months, a concerning number of children in Ireland were seeing gambling ads without even realising what they were.
Making Changes—the Irish Gambling Regulation Act
It was clear that regulations needed to change when it came to gambling in Ireland. In October 2024, we finally saw the passing of the Gambling Regulation Act and the establishment of GRAI to tackle the problems within the current framework. It brought all providers under one umbrella in order to streamline licensing for providers and make things safer for players. Let’s look at some of the other changes they made!
Tightening Rules on Advertising
Right out of the gate, the Act recognised just how dangerous gambling ads can be. In research that condensed the findings of 1024 papers, it was found that greater exposure to ads causes “more positive attitudes to gambling, greater intentions to gamble and increased gambling activity”. Researchers described it as a cycle where greater exposure causes more frequent gambling, in turn, leaving players at greater risk of harm.³
The government-backed GRAI was quick to act. They introduced a watershed on gambling ads between the hours of 5:30 am to 9 pm, which aimed to reduce the exposure of underage individuals to gambling ads. They tackled gambling ads on social media by making it so only those already subscribed to or following a gambling provider’s account would see their content. By age-gating content, that change also automatically prevented gambling ads from appearing on the feed of those underage.
Banning Targeted Bonuses
Research backed by GRAI found that bonuses and free bets increase the amount players spend on gambling by as much as 11%. It also found that an average of 27.2% of respondents would back a bad bet if it had a free bet attached, compared to just 7.9% without.⁴
That research is just one of the reasons why the group banned targeted bonuses, which it defines as those aimed at a specific group, like high rollers. All the different bonus types can still be offered to the general public. However, those that could target players displaying high-risk behaviour have been banned. In their example, the GRAI highlighted one cashback bonus where only players who lost over €100 in a single week were eligible, encouraging harmful behaviour like chasing losses and overspending.
Setting Up GRAI and its Role
The establishment of GRAI was one of the most important things to come out of the recent Gambling Regulations Act. The new governing body now oversees all legislation on gambling in Ireland and is responsible for awarding licenses to providers. One of its top priorities following the Act was to create the National Self-Exclusion Register. This allows players to exclude themselves from all providers in the country, rather than having to do so on a provider-by-provider basis, and it should make self-exclusion a lot more effective.
Another move to improve player safety was creating the Social Impact Fund, which all licensed providers have to pay an annual contribution towards. While the specifics of numbers haven’t yet been cleared up, GRAI has announced its intention to spend the money on initiatives that support those with gambling problems, as well as campaigns to promote responsible gambling.
What Other Improvements Could We See?
GRAI could easily follow the path of regulators around the world that are currently focused on preventing gambling harm by establishing low-level checks on player vulnerability and risk. In the UK, they’re in the second trial phase of financial vulnerability assessments. These are non-invasive assessments that use publicly available records, like credit scores and bankruptcy statements, to determine the risk of harm for those intending to gamble.
Similarly, in Spain, the Director General for the Regulation of Gambling announced plans to develop technology that can detect risky player behaviour.⁵ They said it would track gaming habits and flag any that look unsafe. They also aim to improve user safety in general through data and technology-based player monitoring. Although the exact nature of the technology hasn’t yet been determined, the Director General aims to have technology to improve player safety ready within the next two years.
The Irish regulator will likely be looking towards both these initiatives to see whether they’re successful in improving playing safety and reducing harm. Should they be, it’s more than likely that we’ll see a similar type of technology-based assessment or monitoring introduced in Ireland.
Preventing Underage Gambling
GRAI has introduced stricter punishments for providers found to have allowed someone under the age of 18 to gamble or even to enter gambling premises. Those responsible for providers could face up to eight years in prison and a hefty fine of up to €20,000,000 if found guilty. The regulator hopes this will result in providers introducing stricter age verification rules.
GRAI’s Strategy for the Next Few Years
A year on from the passing of the Gambling Regulation Act, GRAI has launched its strategy for the next few years. It has six key focuses: licensing; monitoring and compliance; enforcement, consumer protection, and awareness; people; organisation and governance; and digital first. Each focus has different goals and milestones attached.⁶ Once again, there’s a keen focus on preventing underage gambling and funding initiatives that research, prevent or offer support for gambling harm.
Is the Irish Government Doing Enough to Improve Player Safety?
Although the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is relatively new, it’s already made key movements in improving player safety. It’s simplified licensing by bringing all providers under the same body, so they know which licences and rules apply to them. New rules aimed at advertising and preventing targeted bonuses, as well as the establishment of the National Self-Exclusion Register, are also set to improve player safety and reduce the risk of harm.
Improving player safety is clearly one of the very central aims of GRAI. That includes funding research into gambling addiction and support initiatives through the Social Impact Fund. It’s also keeping a close eye on regulations in other countries, so if things like the financial risk assessments in the UK are a success, we could easily see GRAI introducing that in Ireland. Overall, the government-backed GRAI is making important improvements to player safety, which will hopefully continue in the future.
¹ Betting Act, 1931, Written by Irish Statute Book, Published by Irish Statute Book.
