GRAI Register Ireland: How to Verify a Betting Licence

Since 1 July 2026, every online bookmaker serving Irish customers must hold a current licence from the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). The GRAI maintains a free, publicly searchable register at grai.ie/register — your single most reliable tool for confirming whether a betting site is operating legally in Ireland. This guide explains what the register is, how to read it, and exactly what to do if a site you use is not on it.

What Is the GRAI Register?

The GRAI register is the official list of all operators licensed under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It is hosted by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland at grai.ie/register and is available to any member of the public, free of charge. The register is also downloadable as a CSV file — useful if you want to audit a list of sites in bulk or keep an offline copy.

For each licensed operator, the register records:

• The legal company name (not the trading brand)
• The full licence number (e.g. GRAI-0191-RB-26-0001)
• The licence type (Remote Betting, Remote Intermediary, etc.)
• The date of issue
• The expiry date
• The current status: Active, Suspended, or Revoked

The register is updated in real time — not on a weekly or monthly cycle. When a new licence is granted, the entry appears immediately. When a licence is suspended or revoked, its status changes within hours. As of September 2026, the GRAI had issued 32 remote betting (RB) licences.

How to Read a GRAI Licence Number

Every licence the GRAI issues follows a consistent format: GRAI-XXXX-TT-YY-NNNN. Here is exactly what each segment means:

So GRAI-0191-RB-26-0001 tells you: operator 191, remote betting licence, issued in 2026, first licence in that series. The RB segment is crucial — it distinguishes a bookmaker licence from a Remote Intermediary (RI) licence used by betting exchanges. There is currently no issued code for remote gaming (casino) because the GRAI has not opened casino licensing as of November 2026.

When you see a licence number displayed in a site footer, run a quick mental check: does it start with GRAI? Does it contain RB? Is the year plausible (26 for 2026)? Then go verify it on the register directly.

Step-by-Step: How to Check a Bookmaker on the GRAI Register

The full verification takes under two minutes. Follow these steps exactly:

1. Open the betting site and scroll to the very bottom of any page (the footer).
2. Find the legal company name — not the trading brand displayed prominently at the top. The legal name will be something like "Example Limited", "Example Interactive (Ireland) Ltd", or "Example Group plc". It is usually in small print near the copyright notice or regulatory disclosure.
3. Note the licence number if one is displayed. A GRAI-licensed site should display its full GRAI licence number in the footer.
4. Go to grai.ie/register in a separate browser tab.
5. Search for the legal company name using the register's search field. Do not search by brand name — search by the company name from step 2.
6. Check three things on the result:
   • Licence type shows RB (Remote Betting) — not RI or anything else
   • Status is Active — not Suspended or Revoked
   • Expiry date is in the future
7. If all three checks pass, the site is legitimately licensed. If any check fails, treat the site as unlicensed until confirmed otherwise.

CraicBet also maintains a daily GRAI register tracker that logs every change — new licences, renewals, suspensions, and revocations. If you bet regularly, bookmarking it takes 10 seconds and could save you significant money.

Register Status: What It Means as of November 2026

What to Do If a Site Is NOT on the GRAI Register

If you search for a betting site's legal company name and find no result — or find a result with status Suspended or Revoked — here is what to do:

Do Not Deposit

The most important step: do not deposit money into an unlicensed site. Since 1 July 2026, any bookmaker that accepts bets from Irish residents without a valid GRAI licence is operating illegally. If that site closes, withholds winnings, or disputes a withdrawal, you have no GRAI complaints route and no Irish legal remedy that is practically enforceable against an offshore operator. The risk is entirely yours.

Check Whether the Site Has Applied for a Licence

Some operators were still in the application process when the July 2026 deadline passed. The GRAI does not publish a list of pending applications, but if a site's footer says "GRAI application pending" with a reference number, that is a signal to verify with the GRAI directly (via grai.ie). Pending is not the same as licensed — do not treat it as equivalent.

Report the Site to the GRAI

The GRAI accepts reports of suspected unlicensed operators through its website. You can report anonymously. The GRAI has powers to investigate, issue substantial fines, pursue criminal prosecution, and seek injunctions from the courts to block access to unlicensed sites within Ireland. Reporting helps protect other Irish bettors from the same risk.

Withdraw Any Existing Balance First

If you already have funds on a site that turns out to be unlicensed, attempt to withdraw your balance before taking any other action. Document everything: take screenshots of your balance, withdrawal requests, and any communications with the site. If the site refuses to pay, you may need this documentation for any future complaint to your bank (chargeback) or a foreign regulator.

In-Person Betting Shop Licences: December 2026

The GRAI's current register covers remote (online) betting only. Applications for in-person betting shop licences — covering Ireland's traditional high-street bookmakers — are due to open in December 2026. This means that for the period July–December 2026, in-person shops are operating under a transitional framework while remote operators are fully within the GRAI regime. Once in-person licensing is live, the register will expand to cover retail betting premises as well.

Casino Licences: Not Yet Issued

This is worth stating clearly because it causes frequent confusion. As of November 2026, the GRAI has issued zero remote gaming (casino) licences. No Irish online casino holds a GRAI licence. Casino licensing is a separate category under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, and the GRAI has indicated it does not expect to open casino licence applications until 2027–2028.

Any website claiming to hold a "GRAI casino licence" is making a false claim. Online casinos serving Irish customers currently hold licences from foreign regulators (Malta Gaming Authority, Estonian RGL, etc.). These are legitimate but do not carry Irish-law protections. If you use an online casino, verify its actual licence on the regulator's own site — not on the GRAI register, where you will find nothing, because nothing exists to find.

For more detail, see our guide: GRAI Licensed Bookmakers Ireland 2026.

Our GRAI-Licensed Recommendation

CraicBet recommends one bookmaker. It holds GRAI licence No. GRAI-0191-RB-26-0001, issued 16 September 2026 and valid until 15 September 2029. You can verify this for yourself right now on the GRAI's public register at grai.ie. We checked it. We encourage you to check it again independently — that is the whole point of this guide.

Related Guides

• Betting Sites Ireland 2026 — full post-GRAI guide
• GRAI Licensed Bookmakers Ireland 2026
• Unlicensed Betting Sites Ireland: Risks & What GRAI Means
• Gambling Self-Exclusion Ireland: National Register Explained
• GRAI Register Tracker — daily updates
• Responsible Gambling Tools in Ireland

Frequently Asked Questions