Ireland’s Gambling Regulator Responds to Stakeholder Feedback

Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRAI) has responded to the input it gathered during its inaugural public consultation on the nation’s new Gambling Regulation Act 2024. The regulator issued an in-depth report about several key licensing provisions, recognizing stakeholder contributions across the gambling ecosystem. GRAI reiterated its commitment to open engagement and evidence-driven decision-making.

Stakeholders Raised Some Significant Concerns

The April-May 2025 consultation focused on three highly contentious aspects of the planned legislation: application fees, license durations, and conditions attached to licenses. GRAI received thirty-seven submissions from a mix of operators, public agencies, consultants, and civil organizations. This data provided valuable feedback and represented diverse viewpoints, helping inform the authority’s next moves.

Constructive dialogue remains central to our approach, and we welcome ongoing collaboration with all relevant parties.

GRAI statement

Governance Ireland conducted an independent review of the submissions, identifying several recurring themes. Foremost among these was a call for a fairer and more transparent fee structure based on operator size and revenue. A tiered system based on Gross Gaming Revenue or similar economic indicators was one of the most popular suggestions.

Smaller operators and start-ups were worried that the suggested fees would be a barrier to market entry. Others recommended scaling the costs of in-person premises licenses based on the number of gaming machines or permitting operators to spread charges over time via monthly or annual installments. There were also suggestions to adjust fees for operators specializing in niche formats, such as peer-to-peer poker.

The Regulator Remains Committed to a Safe and Equitable Market

GRAI responded to some of the more frequent concerns, noting that any licensing model must both recover regulatory costs and remain proportionate. Discussing license duration, the regulator confirmed its intention to implement a three-year term, as originally envisioned. While only a few feedback submissions explicitly supported this model, GRAI noted the broad interest in longer terms and confirmed it would monitor the issue.

While the authority acknowledged the importance of public feedback in shaping Ireland’s new gambling regulations, the proposed legislation must also receive approval by the European Commission and other EU member states through the TRIS (Technical Regulation Information System) procedure, ensuring alignment with broader EU regulatory frameworks. Fortunately, this step should not be an issue as the bill took inspiration from leading EU jurisdictions.

GRAI reaffirms that the development of its licensing framework is grounded in robust evidence, public interest considerations, and the statutory obligations placed on the GRAI.

GRAI statement

GRAI used this announcement to outline its broader goals: fostering a socially responsible and transparent gambling industry, promoting industry stability, and safeguarding the public. The authority should release more updates in the coming weeks as Ireland presses on with its plans to implement a fully regulated national gambling framework, a first in the nation’s history.