The Irish Gambling Commission is Ireland's new dedicated gambling regulator, established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It represents a significant shift in how gambling is regulated in Ireland — moving from a fragmented, outdated framework to a modern, purpose-built regulatory body. For Irish players who use foreign betting sites, the Commission's development matters: it will reshape the landscape of Irish gambling over the coming years, with implications for both domestic and foreign operators serving Irish customers. Here is what you need to know in 2026.
What the Commission Does
The Irish Gambling Commission has a broad mandate covering all forms of gambling in Ireland — betting, gaming, lotteries, and interactive gambling online. Its core functions include:
Licensing: The Commission grants licences to gambling operators who wish to legally serve Irish customers. This includes both land-based bookmakers and online operators. Operators must meet financial, technical, and integrity standards to obtain and retain a licence.
Enforcement: The Commission can investigate operators, impose financial penalties, suspend licences, and refer cases for criminal prosecution where warranted. This is a significant upgrade from the pre-2024 framework, which had limited enforcement tools.
Responsible gambling oversight: The Commission is responsible for setting and enforcing responsible gambling standards across the industry, including requirements for deposit limits, self-exclusion tools, and restrictions on marketing to vulnerable people. It will oversee the development of a national self-exclusion register for Ireland.
Consumer protection: The Commission provides a channel for player complaints that cannot be resolved with operators directly. This gives Irish bettors a domestic regulatory body to escalate issues to — which was not previously available in the same way.
Timeline and Implementation
The Gambling Regulation Act was signed into law in 2024, but establishing a new regulatory body of this scale takes time. The implementation is being phased:
- 2024: Act enacted; Commission structure established; initial appointments made; certain provisions commenced.
- 2024–2025: Commission becomes operational for core licensing and enforcement functions; regulations and codes of practice developed and consulted on.
- 2025–2026: Full licensing regime expected to be operational; existing operators transitioning to new licence framework; responsible gambling obligations progressively implemented.
- Ongoing: Advertising rules, self-exclusion register, and additional consumer protection measures phased in as the Commission develops its capacity.
These timelines are subject to change. The Department of Justice and the Commission itself publish updates on progress. Given that building regulatory capacity from scratch is a complex undertaking, some delays relative to original targets are normal.
Impact on Players Using Foreign Sites
The short-term impact of the Irish Gambling Commission on players who currently use EU-licensed foreign bookmakers is limited. The Commission is focused on establishing itself, developing regulations, and building relationships with existing domestic operators. It is not currently blocking access to foreign sites or taking enforcement action against Irish players for using them.
The medium-term direction is toward a framework where operators targeting Irish customers — including foreign ones — will need to engage with Irish regulatory requirements. The most likely mechanisms are a licensing requirement for operators that actively market to Irish customers, or recognition arrangements with EU regulators like the MGA.
For players, this trajectory is broadly positive. More rigorous regulation of operators serving the Irish market should mean better consumer protections, clearer recourse for disputes, and higher standards for responsible gambling tools. The foreign bookmakers we feature — all MGA-licensed — are well-positioned to meet Irish requirements given the MGA's own high standards.
One area to watch is the proposed national self-exclusion register. When operational, this would allow Irish players to self-exclude from all licensed gambling sites in Ireland with a single registration. How foreign operators will participate in this system will depend on the licensing requirements that develop over time.
Related Pages
- Is It Legal to Use Foreign Betting Sites in Ireland? — full legal overview
- Gambling Regulation Act 2024 — the legislation explained
- EU vs Irish Bookmakers — regulatory comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Irish Gambling Commission?
The Irish Gambling Commission (officially established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024) is Ireland's new independent gambling regulator. It is responsible for licensing gambling operators who serve Irish customers, enforcing compliance with Irish gambling law, overseeing responsible gambling standards, and providing a consumer-facing role in player protection. It replaces the fragmented pre-existing arrangements under the Revenue Commissioners and older Betting Acts.
When will the Irish Gambling Commission be fully operational?
The Commission was established under the 2024 Act and has been taking on its functions on a phased basis. Some functions became operational in 2024-25, with the full licensing framework expected to be operational by 2025-26. Given the complexity of establishing a new regulatory body, timelines may shift. The Department of Justice's website and gov.ie carry the latest updates.
Will foreign betting sites need an Irish licence from the Commission?
The intent of the 2024 Act is that operators actively targeting Irish customers will need to engage with the Irish licensing framework over time. However, EU freedom of services rules mean that EU-licensed operators (such as MGA-licensed sites from Malta) have legal protections that make a simple ban on foreign operators difficult. The more likely outcome is a requirement for foreign operators to obtain an Irish licence or demonstrate equivalent compliance — a process that takes time to implement.
What powers does the Irish Gambling Commission have?
The Commission can grant, refuse, suspend, and revoke gambling licences; investigate operators; impose financial penalties; require changes to operator practices; and refer serious matters for prosecution. It has a consumer-facing role, including handling player complaints and overseeing the development of national responsible gambling tools such as a self-exclusion register.