Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Act 2024 replaces legislation nearly 70 years old and introduces one of the most prescriptive gambling marketing frameworks in Europe, with criminal penalties attached to several of its key provisions.
The Act establishes the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) as the central licensing and enforcement body. The GRAI has already opened B2C licence applications. B2B licences and those covering charitable or philanthropic purposes will follow in a later phase.
The legislation frames gambling regulation explicitly as a public health measure, targeting advertising, sponsorship and merchandise alongside the operational rules that have historically been the focus of Irish gambling law. For operators and suppliers active in Ireland, that shift has direct commercial consequences.
Advertising Restrictions and the Watershed Rule
The GRA introduces a broadcast advertising watershed running from 5:30am to 9:00pm. The restriction applies across broadcast and online platforms and covers what the Act defines as “relevant content” — betting activities, games, lotteries and advertising of the licensee itself.
The rules on digital targeting go further. Operators cannot engage intermediaries to target ads at users on on-demand or social media services unless the intended recipient already holds an account with that service. Where ads are placed on social media specifically, the person targeted must also follow the licensee’s social media channel on that platform.
The same logic applies to influencers and digital content creators. They cannot promote relevant content unless the intended recipient follows both the content creator and the licensee on the same platform. Incidental exposure — a logo visible at a sports stadium, for example — does not constitute a breach under the GRAI’s published guidance.
Merchandise and Children’s Protections
The GRA prohibits selling or distributing gambling-branded clothing and merchandise intended to be worn or used by children. The prohibition extends beyond traditional retail: distributing branded flags, banners, hats or scarves at events that children may attend is covered under the same restriction. The GRAI’s guidance confirms this applies broadly to branded products at such events, not only to formal commercial retail channels. Breach of these provisions is a criminal offence.
Sponsorship Bans Under Section 159
Section 159 of the Act, once in force, will prohibit B2C and B2B licensees from sponsoring events where children are the majority of attendees or participants. The prohibition extends further: licensees will not be permitted to sponsor an organisation, club or team where children are members, or a premises used by such an establishment.
The Act defines sponsorship broadly, covering any public or private contribution towards an event or organisation where the aim, or the direct or indirect effect, is to promote a gambling activity. A breach of section 159 is a criminal offence.
In practice, section 159 has the potential to significantly narrow the sponsorship universe for both B2C and B2B licensees operating in Ireland. GAA, soccer and rugby clubs with junior or youth membership categories would fall within the scope of the restriction, though front-of-shirt deals with major Irish sports organisations are not currently a feature of the market.
Regulatory Overlap and Transition
Ireland’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) operated as the primary body handling gambling advertising complaints under a non-statutory code prior to the GRA. The ASA has confirmed it will continue handling complaints under the existing code and will coordinate with the GRAI during the transition. The GRAI will have additional authority to seek High Court orders prohibiting advertising that contravenes the Act.
The GRAI will also have powers to issue further regulations on ad content and placement beyond those set out in the Act itself, meaning the framework as it stands is not necessarily the final picture.
The Irish framework arrives as European regulators increasingly couple licensing frameworks with enforcement teeth, and as neighbouring jurisdictions advance their own overhauls of gambling legislation. Operators holding or seeking Irish licences will need to audit existing advertising and sponsorship agreements against the incoming rules, assess their influencer and creator relationships, and build flexibility into contracts for further GRAI regulatory guidance on content and placement.
For B2B suppliers, the licensing requirement itself is new territory. Ireland did not previously operate a formal B2B gambling licence regime. The Irish market has seen material structural changes at operator level in recent months; the GRA adds a compliance layer that will require attention well before the GRAI opens B2B applications.
Source: Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland
