The Idea in One Sentence
Every GRAI-licensed operator pays a mandatory levy into a Social Impact Fund, which finances problem-gambling research, public awareness campaigns, and addiction treatment services — the industry funding the repair of the harm it can cause.
How the Levy Works
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 establishes the fund and empowers the GRAI to set contributions, expected to be proportionate to each operator's scale. The precise levy rates are still to be prescribed — like licence fees were before S.I. 37/2026 set them. Once set, paying is a licence condition, with the usual sanctions behind it.
Where the Money Goes
Three destinations written into the Act: research into gambling harm in Ireland (long underfunded — Irish policy has leaned on UK data for years), awareness and education programmes, and treatment services for people harmed by gambling. Today that ecosystem runs largely on services like the Gambling Awareness Trust (1800 753 753, gamblingcare.ie).
Why This Matters to Players
Two reasons. First, it is another cost of being licensed — operators who pay it are invested in the Irish system, visible on the register. Second, it means independent, Irish-specific research into what actually causes harm — which over time shapes smarter rules than imported assumptions. Offshore operators contribute nothing to any of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
A fund established by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, financed by a mandatory levy on licensed operators, paying for problem-gambling research, awareness and treatment in Ireland.
The levy rates are still to be prescribed by regulation; contributions are expected to scale with operator size — as happened with licence fees.
No — only GRAI-licensed operators. Offshore operators serving Irish players contribute nothing to Irish harm-reduction funding.