Last checked: 28 July 2026 against GRAI’s official website. We re-check monthly and update this page the day anything changes.
The short version
- No casino in Ireland holds a GRAI licence yet — as of our last check, GRAI had not opened licence applications at all.
- Any site telling you a casino is “GRAI-licensed” in July 2026 is wrong. The regulator’s own guidance says phasing details are still months away.
- Bookmakers and gaming operators still run on the old Revenue licences while the transition happens.
While GRAI licensing is pending, the one Irish-accepting casino we have deposit-tested ourselves: MyStake — 300% up to €1,500 across your first three deposits.
18+ | T&Cs apply | Gamble responsibly
What GRAI actually is
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) is the new regulator created under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It will eventually license and supervise betting, gaming and lottery products in Ireland, replacing the patchwork of Revenue bookmaker licences and court-issued lottery permits that Ireland has used for decades.
Where licensing actually stands right now
We read GRAI’s own licensing guidance rather than other comparison sites, and as of 28 July 2026 it says, in plain terms:
- Applications have not opened yet. GRAI is taking a phased approach and says information about phasing “will be available in the coming months” while it finalises transition arrangements.
- The old regime continues in the meantime. Existing licence holders are told to keep renewing with the Revenue Commissioners (gaming licences) and the courts (lotteries). New operators are told to do the same.
- B2B licensing comes later. GRAI states business-to-business licensing is not expected in the first phases.
- There is no public GRAI register yet. When one appears, this page becomes a live list of it.
Licence status at a glance
| Licence type | Status (28 Jul 2026) | Who to check with today |
|---|---|---|
| Online casino (B2C gaming) | Not open yet — phased rollout pending | No Irish licence exists; overseas licence checks only |
| Betting (bookmakers) | Old regime continues | Revenue Commissioners bookmaker licence |
| Lotteries | Old regime continues | Courts Service / Garda permits |
| B2B suppliers | Explicitly a later phase | — |
So which casinos are “GRAI-licensed” today?
None. Not one. If you search this phrase you will find pages confidently listing “GRAI-licensed casinos” — that is not something that exists yet, and it tells you a lot about how carefully those sites check things. We will list every licensed operator here the day GRAI issues its first licences, with the licence details quoted from the register.
How to check an operator yourself, today
- Bookmakers: a legitimate Irish-facing bookmaker holds a Revenue bookmaker’s licence under the old regime. Ask their support for the licence detail, or check the operator’s terms page.
- Online casinos: there is currently no Irish licence for them to hold, so every casino serving Irish players operates on an overseas licence — typically Malta (MGA), Curaçao or similar. The licence number in the site footer should match the regulator’s own verification page.
- The regulator itself: GRAI publishes player-safety information at grai.ie/gambling-safety — worth a read before you deposit anywhere.
What this means if you play at online casinos in Ireland
Until GRAI’s casino licensing phase arrives, every online casino open to Irish players is an offshore site. That is a fact, not a recommendation — and it cuts both ways: you get access and bigger bonuses, but you give up local regulatory protection. If you choose to play at one, the licence check above and the operator’s track record are all you have, so they matter.
We keep a short list of casinos whose acceptance of Irish players we have confirmed ourselves. Right now that list is: MyStake (the one casino on this site we have deposit-tested with our own money). We are confirming Irish acceptance for other partner brands in writing and will only add them here once that confirmation exists.
What a GRAI licence actually gives you as a player
The point of the new regime isn’t the paperwork — it’s the concrete consumer protections a licensed operator has to follow, and that an unlicensed offshore site does not. Once an operator holds a GRAI licence, these apply:
- A statutory self-exclusion register. The Act establishes a National Gambling Exclusion Register — one place to exclude yourself across every licensed operator, rather than site by site. Offshore casinos have no obligation to honour an Irish exclusion.
- No credit-card gambling. Licensed operators can’t accept credit cards for gambling — a deliberate brake on betting with borrowed money.
- Advertising limits. A watershed keeps gambling ads off TV, radio and on-demand services between 05:30 and 21:00, and ads can’t be aimed at children or used as personalised inducements to keep you playing.
- Real penalties behind the rules. GRAI can fine a licensed operator up to €20 million or 10% of turnover, so those obligations have teeth — it’s not just guidance.
- Somewhere to complain. A licensed operator answers to GRAI. If an offshore site voids your winnings or stonewalls a withdrawal, there is no Irish regulator to take it to.
That’s the honest case for choosing a GRAI-licensed operator once licences are live: not that offshore casinos are illegal for you to use — they aren’t — but that a licensed site is the only one bound by these protections. Until the register of licensed operators fills out, use the checks above, and see our mobile casino and Revolut casino guides for how we assess brands in the meantime.
What happens next (and when we update)
- GRAI publishes its phasing timetable → we add it here with dates.
- Applications open → we track which operators apply, where that becomes public.
- First licences issue and a register appears → this page becomes a live mirror of it, checked monthly.
Quick answers
Can Irish players use online casinos right now?
There is no Irish online-casino licence yet, so every casino open to Irish players runs on an overseas licence — outside Irish regulatory protection. Check the operator’s licence before depositing; our verified list above is deliberately short.
What is the GRAI?
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland — the new regulator created by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. It will eventually license betting, gaming and lotteries in Ireland.
When will GRAI start licensing casinos?
GRAI has not published its phasing timetable. Its own guidance says information is coming in the next few months. We re-check the regulator monthly and update this page the day that changes.
Changelog: 28 Jul 2026 — page launched. GRAI applications not yet open per the regulator’s own guidance; no public register exists.
18+. Play responsibly. Irish player-safety resources: GRAI gambling safety.