Ireland

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (signed October 2024) is the biggest overhaul of Irish gambling law in decades, replacing a fragmented system of Betting Acts and Gaming and Lotteries Acts and establishing the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). The GRAI became operational for licensing on 9 February 2026 (commencement order effective 5 Feb 2026), opening remote (online) betting and betting-intermediary applications first, with remote betting licences required from 1 July 2026 and in-person operators transitioning from Revenue permissions by 1 December 2026.

The framework adds fines up to €20m, a credit-card gambling ban, mandatory 18+ age verification, a national self-exclusion register, deposit/loss-limit tools and advertising restrictions. Horse-race betting (on/off-course bookmakers and the Tote Ireland pool monopoly under Horse Racing Ireland) is a long-regulated vertical now folding into the GRAI regime.

Prediction markets (Polymarket, Kalshi) long sat in an unregulated grey zone, but in April 2026 the GRAI said they "bear the hallmarks of betting" and would require a licence — since 1 July 2026 every remote betting operator needs a GRAI licence, and Polymarket has geoblocked Irish users.

Ireland is a gambling-friendly island with plenty of options for gamblers looking for a place to place a few bets online. Whether you live in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, you can play online without worry of breaking the law or even paying taxes on your winnings (the 2% betting duty on sports bets is paid by the bookmaker, not deducted from your winnings).

All of the biggest UK-based betting operations accept customers from Ireland. There are also major Irish betting sites that cater specifically to Ireland such as Paddy Power and others.

Ireland Betting Sites

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All of these online betting sites accept Irish customers and offer their games in both Euros and British Pounds. Whether a site may lawfully take that business now turns on its licence: as of July 1, 2026, any remote betting service operator must hold a GRAI license.

Getting paid is a simple matter of logging in to your account and requesting a withdrawal. Your winnings can be sent to you via e-wallet, paper check or transfer straight to your bank in the same currency used to deposit.

Gambling Laws in Ireland

The gambling laws vary somewhat between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, but the end result for consumers is the same as far as the internet is concerned. That no longer means you can play at any betting site you choose. As of July 1, 2026, any remote betting service operator must hold a GRAI license, and being based offshore is not an exemption: it is an offence to provide betting activity without a license from the GRAI and the regulator has the power to go to the High Court to direct a person providing a prohibited gambling activity to stop, to have access to the operator blocked, and to have payments to it blocked.

Lawmakers long sought to overhaul Irish gambling law, and those efforts finally succeeded with the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and the new GRAI licensing regime. One of the most recent proposals was put forth in 2013 and it sought to create a framework by which Ireland could issue licenses, monitor the industry, add protections for minors and allow public casinos as opposed to membership-only clubs.

Ireland eventually settled with the Betting Amendment Act in 2015. The Ireland Betting Amendment Act was greeted with reserved optimism by operators thanks to a sane licensing system and a tax scheme that everyone can live with. Under that regime, operators wishing to serve the Irish market were required to submit to an investigation process and pay a €10,000 fee for a two-year licence; that system is now being replaced by GRAI licensing.

Taxes are now set at 2% of turnover for sports bets and 25% on any commissions generated by exchange-style betting. The act also imposed new sanctions for operators caught offering their services without the proper licensing. Under that regime, unlicensed online betting sites in Ireland faced fines of up to €300,000 while individuals who provided unlicensed betting services faced up to five years in prison. Those sanctions belong to the framework now being replaced: under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 it is an offence to provide betting activity without a license from the GRAI.

Northern Ireland Gambling Laws

Brick-and-mortar gambling does not have much of a presence in Northern Ireland. Most forms of gambling in the country are regulated by the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements Order 1985 (link). The legislation prohibits all public casinos across the country.

This may change in coming years. Legislators passed the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which updated some rules, though a wider overhaul of the 1985 Order is still awaited. Northern Ireland does not allow brick-and-mortar casinos or poker rooms, although licensed bookmakers and betting shops do operate.

Betting in the Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland takes a more relaxed approach towards brick-and-mortar gambling. Casinos are allowed to operate as membership-only clubs not open to the public thanks to a loophole found in gaming laws that date back to the 1950s.

Several proposals were put forth over the years, culminating in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which brings casinos and all other gambling within the new GRAI licensing regime. Licensed bookmakers serve customers in both regions.