GRAI licence register 2026: how to check an Irish gambling licence

Why an Irish licence check needs a date

An Irish gambling licence check is a point-in-time verification, not a permanent label. During 2026, the licensing roles and registers are moving through a transition. A record that was relevant under the previous arrangement may not answer every question about a particular domain, legal entity or gambling product today.

The safest approach is to record the exact domain examined, the legal entity named in the official record, the licence or reference details shown, the product covered, and the date checked. If one of those elements is missing or does not match, the record should be treated as incomplete rather than stretched to support a conclusion.

The GRAI operator portal states that the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland began accepting remote and in-person betting applications in February 2026 and notes the Revenue transition. That dated observation was checked on 21 August 2026.

Who regulates online gambling in Ireland?

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 establishes the statutory framework and the GRAI. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 was checked on 21 August 2026. A government commencement announcement states that the relevant order enabled GRAI licensing and describes the 2026 transition dates. That announcement was checked on 21 August 2026.

Revenue remains relevant to the historic and continuing register of licensed remote bookmaking operations. Revenue's role in a register entry should not be confused with a general statement that every type of online gambling product is licensed under that entry. The precise product and record must be examined.

How to check an online gambling licence in Ireland

1. Define the activity. Decide whether the record concerns remote betting, in-person betting, online casino-style games, or another gambling product. Do not use a betting record as a general authorisation without evidence that the product is covered.
2. Start with the relevant primary register. Check the GRAI material for the 2026 licensing process and the Revenue remote bookmaker register where remote bookmaking is the activity being examined.
3. Read the record, not just the search result. Capture the legal entity, domain, reference or licence information, product description and status shown by the official source.
4. Match the domain exactly. A licence record for one domain does not, without supporting evidence, establish authorisation for a similar spelling, mirror, mobile address, app or redirect.
5. Record the date. Registers and transition information can change. Save the checked date and the official URL.
6. Resolve gaps with the primary body. If the entity, domain, product or status is unclear, ask the relevant regulator or public body rather than relying on an operator banner or a user report.

What fields must match before a licence record supports a domain?

A useful match is specific. The strongest result is one where the official record identifies the same legal entity and the same domain, while also covering the gambling activity offered. A brand name alone is not enough: brands, trading names and corporate entities can differ.

Does a GRAI notice of intent mean a licence was granted?

No. The GRAI notices page records applicants' published intent to apply. The GRAI notices of intent page, checked on 21 August 2026, does not treat an intent notice as a granted licence.

A notice can show that an applicant has published an intention to seek a licence. It cannot, by itself, establish that the application was approved, that a licence was issued, or that a particular domain is authorised for every product advertised under a brand. The wording and status of the primary record matter.

Is the Revenue bookmaker register still relevant in 2026?

Yes, it remains relevant for the question it actually answers. Revenue publishes a monthly register of licensed remote bookmaking operations, and the register page was last modified on 6 July 2026. That record was checked on 21 August 2026.

Its relevance does not make it a universal casino register. The register should be read as a remote bookmaking record and matched to the precise entity, domain, product and date. The GRAI operator portal and the government commencement announcement should also be considered when the question concerns the 2026 transition.

A previous Revenue entry, without more, should not be described as proof of a newly granted GRAI licence. Conversely, the existence of a transition does not justify declaring that an operator is unlicensed when the primary records have not been checked or are incomplete.

Does a remote betting licence cover online casino games?

Not automatically. Betting and casino-style products should be treated as separate questions unless a primary licensing record expressly supports the broader claim. A remote bookmaker register entry can support a carefully worded statement about the relevant bookmaking record; it cannot be expanded into an unsupported statement about online casino authorisation.

Where a service offers several products, examine the official record for the activity concerned. If the product scope is not clear, describe the evidence as open and ask the relevant regulator for clarification. Operator terms, footer wording and a licence badge may help identify what the operator claims, but they are not substitutes for a primary licensing record.

How to handle transition dates and incomplete records

The government commencement announcement, checked on 21 August 2026, describes the 2026 transition dates and the order enabling GRAI licensing. Transition information explains timing; it does not decide the status of a particular operator. A careful check therefore separates three questions:

• Was the relevant licensing framework or transition step in force at the date being examined?
• Does a primary record identify the exact entity and activity?
• Does the record support the claim being made about the exact domain today?

If the answer to the second or third question is unknown, use cautious wording such as “the available primary record does not establish this match as checked on 21 August 2026”. Do not convert uncertainty into either approval or an adverse finding.

Primary records, operator statements and user reports

Primary regulator, government, statutory and registry records carry the evidential weight for licence status. An operator statement is useful for identifying the company or the operator's own position, but it remains an operator statement until matched with a primary record. User reports, review-platform labels, discovery data and replies are contextual only. They cannot prove misconduct, safety, licence status, payment performance or a representative pattern.

A public complaint should not be presented as an established regulatory finding. If a discrepancy is reported, preserve the URL, wording and date, label it as an allegation or report, and seek confirmation from the competent primary source. No conclusion about wrongdoing should be drawn from an isolated user account.

revenue.ie · gov.ie

What to do when a domain or entity does not match

First, check for ordinary differences such as punctuation, a trading name or a separate corporate entity, but do not assume that these differences are immaterial. Compare the exact domain and entity with the official record. Take a dated note of the result and retain the primary URL.

For a licensing correction or clarification, contact the relevant public body through its official channel. A correction request should state the exact domain, the entity shown, the record checked, the date and the specific field that appears inconsistent. For consumer concerns, see the complaints guidance; for payment-related issues, use the payment checks guidance. The methodology explains how evidence is classified, and contact details can be used to report a factual correction. Gambling-related support and safer-play information are available through responsible gambling resources.

Licence-check record template

This format makes an Irish online gambling licence check reproducible without overstating the result. It also makes later changes easier to identify, particularly while GRAI and Revenue information is being used during the 2026 transition.

Frequently asked questions

Does a GRAI notice of intent mean a licence was granted?

No. It records an applicant's published intent to apply and is not treated as a granted licence. A granted-status conclusion requires the relevant primary licensing record.