Is online gambling legal in Ireland?

1. 1Gambling Regulation Act 2024: Commencement, Amendments and other effects, SIs made under the Act (Irish Statute Book)
2. 2GRAI: Business to Consumer Licenses (B2C)
3. 3GRAI: Existing Licensees

Using a VPN to reach gambling sites from Ireland: Legal.

Gambling with crypto: Not regulated.

• Minimum age: 18. Your identity and age are checked before your account opens ↗

You must be 18 to gamble online in Ireland, for online casino, sports betting and lottery alike.

Recreational gambling winnings are not taxable in Ireland: for any game type. The Minister for Finance confirmed in the Dáil that windfall winnings from betting and licensed lotteries are exempt from income tax, capital gains tax and capital acquisitions tax.

The regulator's register lists 97 online licence holders in Ireland (checked 5 Nov 2026, no change since 30 Oct 2026).

Always verify a casino holds a valid Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) / Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann licence before depositing. Check the official register before signing up.

The official register of licensed sitesGambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) / Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann's website

Prominent operators in Ireland

If a site isn't on the regulator's licensee register, ask the regulator before you play: an unlisted site is usually not licensed here (a register can lag behind a new licence). An unlicensed site is outside the regulator's supervision, so you cannot complain to the regulator about it.

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  Check for a GRAI Licence

  Only gamble on sites that are explicitly licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). Licensed remote operators must display their licence and registration number on each online platform, together with responsible-gambling information and a link to parental controls.

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  Self-exclusion: no national register yet

  The National Gambling Exclusion Register is provided for but is not yet in force. For now, use the self-exclusion tools each operator offers.

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  Look for Responsible Gambling Tools

  A GRAI-licensed site must give you a facility to set a limit on what you pay, for one activity or in total, which you cannot remove or increase during the period you choose.

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  Confirm Payment Method Restrictions

  A legally compliant site will not accept credit cards for deposits. The availability of trusted methods like debit cards, PayPal, and Revolut is a positive sign.

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  Look for a spending-limit tool on any GRAI-licensed site

  A GRAI licensee must give you a facility to set a limit on what you pay. The Act does not require it to prompt you before your first bet.

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  Games carry a statutory €3,000 maximum win, once gaming licences exist

  For a "relevant game" under a gaming licence the maximum stake is €10 and the maximum winnings €3,000. No gaming licence can yet be issued, and the caps do not apply to betting.

The ways you can pay at licensed gambling sites in Ireland, starting with what most people here already use.

The payment rules licensed sites must follow are on the operator page.

Official changes that affect players, newest first, each with the document it comes from. A change marked not yet in our report is confirmed in the official text but not yet worked into our research report and the answers on this page.

Our daily watch reads the official publishers we follow for Ireland. A change is listed once it has been checked against the official document, by a person or, where marked, by our automated check. Dates are the official dates, not the day we found the change.

• Spending limit: You set it. Operators must give you a tool to cap what you pay for one activity or in total. During the period you choose, you cannot remove or raise it ↗
• Credit cards: Banned. A licensed operator cannot take credit-card payments or give you credit ↗
• National self-exclusion register: Not live yet. Provided for in law but not operating. Self-exclusion offered directly by an operator is unaffected ↗

1. 1

   1. Take the dispute to the operator

   A dispute over a bet, a payout or an account is yours to raise with the operator. The GRAI tells customers to escalate any dispute directly with the operator.

   GRAI complaints page
2. 2

   2. No ombudsman or independent adjudicator

   Ireland has no gambling ombudsman or dispute-resolution body for players. The GRAI says it cannot resolve disputes between consumers and operators. The Act's adjudication officers hear the GRAI's own cases against licensees, not player claims.

3. 3

   3. Report a breach to the GRAI

   If a licensed operator broke one of its legal obligations, anyone can complain to the GRAI, in writing, within 12 months of the breach. The GRAI may investigate and sanction the operator, but it does not award you money.

   Make a complaint to the GRAI

• Myth

  My winnings will be taxed under the new system.
  Reality

  False. A private player's winnings from betting, lotteries and games with prizes are not taxed in Ireland, and the new framework did not change that.

• Myth

  I can still use my credit card to deposit on gambling sites.
  Reality

  False. As of February 5, 2026, the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 explicitly bans the use of credit cards for all licensed gambling activities in Ireland.

• Myth

  It's safe to play on any site that accepts Irish players.
  Reality

  False. Only sites licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) are legal. Playing on unlicensed offshore sites offers no consumer protection, and the GRAI can ask the High Court to order ISPs to block them.

• Myth

  I can still fund my gambling balance with a credit card by routing it through PayPal or another e-wallet.
  Reality

  No: from 5 February 2026 this "wallet-masking" route is explicitly captured by the credit-card ban. A licensed Irish operator must refuse the deposit. If a site claiming to be Irish-licensed still accepts your credit card (directly or via an e-wallet top-up), it is almost certainly a scam or an unlicensed offshore operator.

• Myth

  Sponsored gambling posts in my social-media feed mean the brand is properly licensed in Ireland.
  Reality

  Not yet. The 2024 Act provides for a rule that gambling ads on social media reach only people with an account on the platform who have subscribed to the licensee's account, but it is not in force, so a sponsored post does not tell you whether an operator is licensed. Check the GRAI licence register.