A UK or Malta licence on a betting site: what it means for customers in Ireland

Section 67(1) of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 makes it an offence to provide betting without a licence. The licensing body is the GRAI, and its register shows who holds one.

The wider legal frame is on the Act explained page.

Bottom line: the licence that counts for betting in Ireland is a GRAI licence.

The UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority are other regulators. A licence from either is not a GRAI licence and does not appear on the GRAI register because of it.

On the reading in our research notes, a foreign licence does not by itself replace a GRAI licence. That reading is on our list of questions for a solicitor, so treat it as unconfirmed.

Bottom line: a foreign licence is a different licence; its effect in Ireland is a legal question.

No. The register can list a licensee whose company is based outside Ireland. The research notes records Boylesports (Gibraltar) Limited as an example, to be rechecked on the register.

On that record the licensee holds a GRAI licence. The question to ask is which licence a site holds, not where its company sits. The licence number page shows where the number should appear.

Bottom line: the licence held matters; the licensee's location does not decide it.

Remote betting licences issued by Revenue ran until 30 June 2026, as the Minister confirmed in a Dáil reply of 13 October 2026. The GRAI Compliance FAQ describes no transition period between a Revenue licence and a GRAI licence (GRAI FAQ, PDF).

A site with an application pending is not treated as licensed here. Its status is not confirmed, so it is left out.

Bottom line: a lapsed Revenue licence does not carry over, and a pending application is not a licence.

1. Find the licence number and licensee on the site.
2. Open the GRAI register and filter by Business to Consumer.
3. Match the number, the type (RB or RBI), the expiry and the trading name.
4. If nothing matches, do not deposit.

More cases are on the claim check page.

Bottom line: the register is the test, whatever licence a site shows from elsewhere.

It does not say what applies to customers. It does not say how section 79 reaches acts outside Ireland. Both are open questions for a solicitor.

This page describes the rules as they stand in our sources. It is not legal advice; ask a solicitor for advice on your own position.

Bottom line: two legal questions remain open and are left to a solicitor.

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive – play responsibly.

A site that looks licensed but cannot be matched on the register is a reason to stop before any deposit.

Free 24/7 support: Gambling Awareness Trust 1800 936 725 · gamblingcare.ie. Tools and other helplines are on the responsible gambling page.

Bottom line: set limits, take breaks, and call the free line if betting stops being a choice.