The Short Version
The Gambling (Licence Application Fees) Regulations 2026 (S.I. No. 37 of 2026, signed 9 February 2026) set one-off, non-refundable application fees tiered by turnover, defined as gross win (gross gaming revenue) from Irish customers. Remote betting fees start at €20,000 and scale into the hundreds of thousands for the largest operators; in-person fees start at €750.
Remote Betting Licence Fees
| Turnover (gross win) band | Application fee |
|---|---|
| Up to €249,999 | €20,000 |
| €250,000 – €499,999 | €30,000 |
| €500,000 – €1,999,999 | €50,000 |
| €2m – €7,499,999 | €65,000 |
| €7.5m – €14,999,999 | €100,000 |
| €15m – €29,999,999 | €135,000 |
| €30m – €44,999,999 | €200,000 |
| €45m – €149,999,999 | €265,000 |
| Above €150m | Up to €450,000 (top brackets) |
In-Person Betting Licence Fees
Shop-based bookmakers pay far less: from €750 (turnover under €100,000) up to €20,000 (turnover above €10m), plus €1,200 for each premises. The full bands are published in the official GRAI fee guidance.
Four Rules Worth Knowing
1. Fees are non-refundable — rejected applicants do not get the money back. 2. Assessment only starts after payment in full. 3. Free bets count toward gross win only where the customer has an unrestricted right to the cash equivalent. 4. Licences run three years by default — the GRAI has said it will consider five-year terms.
What About Online Casino Fees?
S.I. 37/2026 already includes a remote gaming fee schedule, also starting at €20,000 — but no gaming licences have been issued yet. When applications open, the fee structure is ready and waiting.
Why Players Should Care
A six-figure, non-refundable entry ticket filters out fly-by-night operators. When an operator appears on the GRAI register, it has paid real money and submitted to real oversight — including fines up to €20 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tiered by gross win from Irish customers: from €20,000 up to €450,000 in the top brackets, under S.I. 37/2026. One-off and non-refundable.
Gross win (GGR) from Irish customers only — stakes minus winnings paid out, not total stakes.
Three years by default. Following its 2025 consultation the GRAI said it would consider five-year terms.