Ireland Moves Toward Responsible Gambling Reform

The GRAI is focusing on six core areas:

• Licensing
• Monitoring and compliance
• Enforcement
• Consumer protection and awareness
• People and governance
• Digital first

By following the guidelines set by these six cornerstones, there is a clear path on how to approach gambling regulations that prioritise public protection, licensing integrity, and industry accountability. One of the key components the GRAI seeks to introduce is consumer safeguards. Anti-money laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing frameworks will be strengthened by safeguarding technology that will benefit the operator and the player. The “Digital first” strategy will develop technology to deploy secure online platforms for licence applications, compliance monitoring, and public registers, using AI and data analytics to assess the data.

The GRAI currently operates under the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration. The strategy plan states that it will become entirely self-financing within three years through licence fees and operator levies. As the GRAI works towards this goal of independence, its main priority is ensuring that all operators, from large commercial firms to charitable organisations, meet the new regulations.

Inspired by the UK’s self-exclusion tool ‘GamStop’, Ireland will introduce a National Gambling Exclusion Register that will allow players to remove themselves from all online gambling services with a GRAI licence. The Social Impact Fund, which is a levy-funded initiative that is expected to reach €14 million annually, will support addiction treatment, education, and research. Using these two tools, the GRAI hopes to create a positive space where players can access the help they need.

The success of the GRAI will be monitored closely through detailed annual plans that will assess KPIs, hopefully showing positive developments towards building a better regulatory gambling system in Ireland. The engine behind this movement is comprised of Chairperson Paul Quinn and CEO Anne Marie Caulfield, collaborating to build fair regulations that protect Irish players. It is exciting to see an official roadmap outlining how the GRAI plans to build a platform for licensing. Interested parties are watching closely to see how this strategy adapts to better suit players and operators.