LICENCING IRELAND’S LUCRATIVE gambling industry under strict regulations will not begin until the middle of 2026, over a year after the appointment of a new regulatory body.

As a result, a Social Impact Fund that will invest in services that help people with problem gambling habits using registration duties, fine and penalty money from licence holders will not be operational until the first companies are registered.

The Gambling Regulation Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which The Journal reported was set up without an activation timeline, will be in charge of collecting the money for the fund and granting gambling licences under strict new rules.

In March, the figureheads of the organisation were formally appointed to their positions by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, with senior civil servant Paul Quinn appointed as chair of the authority.

Despite this, the multibillion-euro gambling industry is still not subject to the strict laws and won’t be until next year. 

Responding to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Mark Wall, O’Callaghan said the GRAI’s new licencing regime will not get underway until mid-2026. It is only then, he said, that the social impact fund will be funded.

O’Callaghan said the development and rollout of the social impact fund is a “key priority” for the GRAI, which will have 35 employees in place by the end of this year.  A consultation process on the social impact fund has only recently concluded.

Wall told The Journal: “People who are dealing with gambling addiction desperately need the Social Impact Fund operational as soon as possible.”

He said the fund – which will invest in educational and awareness initiatives, research and training – must be established as soon as possible. He pointed to recent research that found over 20% of Irish 16-year-olds, mostly boys, have gambled in the last year.

“This is not just a statistic; it’s a reflection of the real and growing crisis affecting our youth,” Wall added.

O’Callaghan outlined to the Kildare South TD that licence holders will contribute to the fund at a rate based on a percentage of their annual turnover. 

“Public and private bodies which support people with experience of gambling harm and/or gambling addiction through treatment will also benefit from the fund,” O’Callaghan added.

Following the commencement of the GRAI’s work, staffing levels will increase through 2026 and 2027 and the new laws become fully operational.

Among the measures to be introduced under the new Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is a ban on free betting opportunities for individual users, a ban on the use of credit cards to lodge money into gambling accounts and stricter regulations on advertising.

Gaming companies will be required to verify the identity of their users through requesting photo identification, and the law will also make it an offence for users to create gambling accounts for those under the age of 18.

The Journal previously reported that the only section of the law that has been enacted is the legislation activating and formally establishing the regulatory body, the GRAI.

This means the industry is in no way legally required to make operational changes at this time.