GRAI Licence Ireland: What It Is, Who Has One, and What It Covers

What Is the GRAI?

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) is an independent statutory body created under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It is Ireland's first dedicated gambling regulator, taking over from the Revenue Commissioners (who managed betting duties) and the courts (which heard gaming cases under outdated laws from 1931 and 1956).

The GRAI's powers include issuing and revoking licences, publishing and enforcing the National Gambling Exclusion Register, setting advertising standards, investigating consumer complaints, and levying fines. It is modelled on the UK Gambling Commission, though the Irish framework has some important differences.

What Types of GRAI Licence Exist?

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 provides for several licence categories. As of November 2026, the GRAI has begun issuing one type only:

The phased rollout means that while some bookmakers now hold a GRAI remote betting licence, no online casino holds any GRAI licence. This is not a grey area — the gaming licence category simply does not exist yet.

What Does a GRAI Licence Require of Operators?

Obtaining a GRAI licence is not just a registration exercise. Operators must demonstrate compliance with a full set of requirements before a licence is granted and maintain compliance as a condition of holding it:

• Player fund protection: Player deposits must be held in segregated accounts, separate from the operator's working capital. If the operator becomes insolvent, player funds are ringfenced.
• Age verification: Mandatory age checks before any play. Operators cannot allow unverified accounts to wager. The standard is robust documentary verification, not a self-declaration tick box.
• Responsible gambling tools: Deposit limits, loss limits, session time limits, reality checks, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion — all mandatory and must be easy to access and immediately effective.
• NGER connection: Operators must check new customers against the National Gambling Exclusion Register (when live) and refuse service to those on it.
• Advertising rules: The GRAI's advertising code bans gambling ads before the 9pm watershed on TV and radio, prohibits celebrities or content appealing to under-18s, and requires responsible gambling messaging.
• Complaint handling: Operators must have an accessible complaint process. Unresolved complaints can be escalated to the GRAI.
• Social Impact Fund: GRAI-licensed operators contribute to a Social Impact Fund used to research and address problem gambling.

How to Verify a GRAI Licence

The GRAI maintains a public register at grai.ie. To check a licence:

1. Go to grai.ie and open the public licence register
2. Search by the legal entity name (found in the operator's footer or terms — it often differs from the brand name)
3. Confirm the licence type — a remote betting licence does not cover casino games
4. Confirm the licence is active, not suspended or expired

CraicBet also tracks the register daily and publishes changes on our GRAI register tracker. You can check there for a summary of current holders without navigating the official site.

What a GRAI Licence Means for You as a Player

A GRAI-licensed bookmaker offers Irish players protections that go beyond what many offshore licences provide:

• Irish law governs your dispute: If you have a complaint, Irish courts and the GRAI have jurisdiction. You do not need to pursue a complaint in Malta or Curaçao.
• Your funds are protected: Segregated accounts mean your balance is secure even if the operator fails.
• Self-exclusion is enforced: GRAI-licensed operators must check the NGER and must honour your self-exclusion request immediately.
• Fair advertising: You should not be targeted with gambling ads that use pressure tactics or celebrity endorsements designed to override good judgement.

That said, for online casino play, no equivalent Irish protection exists yet. The best available protection is a Tier 1 offshore licence — MGA or UKGC — which offers the closest standards to what the GRAI gaming licence will eventually require.

Licence Number to Know: GRAI-0191-RB-26-0001

CraicBet's partner operator holds GRAI remote betting licence GRAI-0191-RB-26-0001, issued 16 September 2026 and valid until 15 September 2029. This is a remote betting licence — it covers sports wagering. It is verifiable on the grai.ie public register.

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