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Ireland threatens prediction markets with enforcement action
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) revealed that it’s planning to launch enforcement action against prediction markets if the operators fail to block access for local users.
The regulatory body shared that it may take the case to the High Court and escalate legal proceedings if the relevant operators violate the country’s laws, with two of the biggest prediction markets, Kalshi and Polymarket, already having restricted their websites for Irish users as of July 21, 2026.
The operators introduced blocking measures after the CEO of the GRAI, Anne Marie Caulfield, issued warning letters to prediction platforms, but added that one case could move to the High Court because of non-compliance.
The GRAI shared in a statement to Gambling Insider:
“As of 1 July 2026, any operator that provides a remote betting or remote betting intermediary service to consumers in Ireland must have a Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) license. Prediction markets that provide betting activities fall within the definition of remote betting intermediary under Irish law.”
Anne Marie Caulfield further commented:
“For the vast majority of cases where we’ve intervened, global prediction market companies have withdrawn their sites. But in the instance where they don’t do so, we can go to the High Court and get a blocking order for them, a blocking order for access to the site and also in relation to the funding involved.”
Ireland’s gambling regulator was created just last year, in 2025, under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which introduced a licensing framework for online gambling products.
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