The law on gambling in Ireland

Gambling is the activity of risking money on the result of a future event, for example a game or race, hoping to win a larger amount of money. Common types of gambling include betting, gaming, raffles, lotteries and slot machines.

Many types of gambling are regulated by law, and gambling operators must have a licence to provide these services. Bookmakers, for example, must have a licence to operate, and there are laws about how they should carry out their business.

The licensing and regulation of gambling in Ireland is currently based on several pieces of legislation. These laws on gambling are old, and some new forms of betting and gaming are not covered by any regulations.

Licensing and regulation of gambling in Ireland is currently based on several pieces of legislation. The new Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (pdf.) will repeal existing laws and will streamline the approach to licensing and regulation of gambling in Ireland.

Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) is a new statutory body being established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.

The functions of the GRAI will include:

• Licensing and regulating gambling services in Ireland
• Establishing a National Gambling Exclusion Register and a Social Impact Fund
• Restricting gambling advertising and sponsorship
• Protecting children from participating in gambling
• Supporting and protecting people with a gambling addiction

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is commenced, gambling bodies will need a licence to provide certain gambling activities including online gambling in Ireland. There will be licences for gaming, betting and some lottery activities. There will also be a separate licence for gambling for charitable purposes.

The GRAI will decide who should hold a licence for specific gambling activities. When granting or renewing a licence the GRAI will consider if the body complies with the current laws on gambling.

If a type of gambling activity has not been authorised, then that activity cannot be provided by the gambling body even if they hold a licence for other gambling activities.

You can now register your interest with the GRAI for a gambling licence.

Find out what happens when a licensed body breaches their obligations under the Act below.

What is the Social Impact Fund?

If you have a gambling licence for commercial purposes, you will have to pay an annual contribution to a Social Impact Fund. This fund will support initiatives to reduce problem gambling. Bodies with charitable or philanthropic licences will not have to contribute to the Social Impact Fund.

What activities will require a licence?

The GRAI will regulate gaming, betting and lottery activities.

Charities and anybody wishing to raise money through gambling activities will also have to apply for a licence (see below).

What gambling activities don’t need a GRAI licence?

The National Lottery is not under the remit of the GRAI but is regulated separately under the National Lottery Act 2013.

Fundraising lotteries for political parties will not be regulated by the GRAI as they fall under the Electoral Reform Act 2022.

Once-off lotteries and raffles

Licences can be granted for once-off lotteries (operated at most once every calendar year). The maximum winnings from a once-off lottery is €360,000 or prizes of equivalent value.

Many clubs and organisations in Ireland run lotteries for charitable or philanthropic purposes. Currently, you only have to apply for a licence for fundraising for lotteries.

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is commenced, charities will need to apply to the GRAI for a licence to run many types of:

• Lotteries, including bingos, raffles or any activities involving a guess of future events where there is a monetary prize following the payment of an entry fee (there are some exceptions for fundraising lotteries - see below)
• Betting activities
• Gaming activities

What is a charitable or philanthropic purpose?

In the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 charitable purposes are defined as:

• The prevention or relief of poverty or economic hardship
• The advancement of education
• The advancement of religion
• Any other purpose that benefits the community

If you are applying for a charitable or philanthropic gambling licence, 30% per cent of the payments received must be used for the charitable or philanthropic purpose you specified in the application.

If you are granted a licence for charitable or philanthropic purposes, you will be able to apply to the GRAI to change the gambling activities allowed under your licence.

Fundraising lotteries that do not need a licence

You do not need a licence if the lottery meets all of these conditions:

• You don’t make a personal profit from the lottery
• The total value of the winnings is €2,000 or less
• The minimum payment to participate in the lottery is €5 or less,
• The maximum number of lottery tickets available for sale is 1,500 or under
• You have not provided a similar lottery in the last three months

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is commenced, it will be illegal to allow children to participate in gambling. A child is anybody aged under 18.

Unless the licence specifies that children are allowed on the premises, children will be banned from:

• Accessing places where gambling activities are offered
• Being employed in gambling services or activities

If you breach these rules you will be guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to up to 8 years' imprisonment and/or a fine.

Advertising gambling to children

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is commenced, advertising gambling as an attractive activity to children will be banned.

It will be an offence to make, sell or supply clothing or items aimed at children that feature the branding of a licensed gambling body or a gambling activity. This includes free items.

It will be an offence for commercial gambling licensees to sponsor:

• An event aimed at children
• An event (not limited to sporting events) where the majority of participants or competitors are children
• An organisation, club or team, or any premises used by organisation, club or team that has children as members
• A public activity that appeals to children

Gambling advertising must be clearly identifiable, and the Act sets out what information must be included in advertisements.

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is commenced, advertisements cannot:

• Promote excessive or compulsive gambling or
• Represent gambling as socially or financially beneficial

Advertising portraying gambling as attractive to children will be prohibited (see ‘Children and gambling’ above).

Social media and on-demand media advertising

Gambling advertising on social media and on-demand media will be banned by default. You should only receive gambling advertising on social media if you:

• Have an account with that social media service
• Have subscribed to the gambling body’s account on that service
• All other statutory requirements have been complied with

You should only receive gambling advertising on on-demand media if you:

• Have an account with the service concerned
• All other statutory requirements have been complied with

TV and radio ads for gambling

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is commenced, it will ban the broadcast of gambling advertising on television and radio between the hours of 5:30am and 9:00pm.

When the Act 2024 is commenced, the GRAI will decide the details on the broadcast, display and publication of gambling advertising including:

• What times
• The location
• The types of events
• Frequency (how regularly)

The GRAI will also decide how much advertising can be broadcast, the duration of advertisements, and the volume/number of advertisements that can be shown on outdoor billboards, in publications or on TV and radio.

Who’s responsible for obeying gambling advertising rules?

Both the broadcasters and licensed gambling body must comply with the rules concerning advertising and sponsorship.

In event advertising 

The GRAI will have no power over the sponsorship and advertisements that appear “in event” being displayed in other countries. For example, advertisements on hoardings inside a stadium overseas during a TV broadcast in Ireland.

Inducements or encouragement to gamble

It will be an offence for a licensed gambling body to offer you any form of inducement to encourage you to gamble or to continue to gamble. For example, free bets to entice you to gamble, to continue gambling or to discourage you from stopping gambling.

Enforcement of gambling advertisement laws

If any of these laws are breached, the gambling body will be guilty of an offence and, if convicted, it will be liable to up to 5 years' imprisonment and /or a fine.

If you cannot control your need to gamble despite the effect it has on your own life and the lives of your family, you may have a gambling addiction. You can get help to treat your gambling addiction.

You can find public and private services that provide supports for problem gambling (pdf) and you can find your local service for addiction treatments on this map.

Find self-help for gambling addiction.

Upcoming supports for gambling addiction

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is fully commenced, further support and protection to people with a gambling addiction will be available, including:

• Prohibiting the use of credit cards and credit facilities for gambling
• Banning ATM machines in gambling locations
• Launching a National Gambling Exclusion Register
• Banning the use of inducements encouraging gambling
• Restricting times and places where gambling can be advertised (see above)
• Banning children from gambling online and in person

Complaints and reporting

If you want to make a complaint to an individual gambling body, you should contact them directly. The GRAI is not responsible for individual customer disputes.

When the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is fully commenced, you will be able to make a complaint to the GRAI if a licensed gambling body has breached its obligations under the Act.

Investigations and sanctions by the GRAI

The GRAI will have the power to monitor compliance, request information, investigate, and enforce compliance from licensed gambling bodies.

If licensed gambling bodies do not comply with their obligations under the new law, they can be:

• Investigated by an independent system of adjudication
• Prosecuted for these offences
• Penalised for these offences if they are found to be non-compliant

Administrative sanctions 

If a licensed gambling body has breached its obligations, it may receive one or more administrative sanctions including:

• A financial penalty
• Suspension of a gambling licence
• Revocation of a gambling licence
• A condition added to their gambling licence

The GRAI will have the power to bring summary prosecutions and prosecutions under indictment for different offences under this Bill.

Licensed gambling bodies can appeal any sanctions imposed by the Authority through an independent appeals system.