The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) shares more details on the gambling licensing process through a Licensing Application Guidance document.GRAI has only...
Ireland’s Gambling Authority Considers a Tiered Fee Model
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) reconsiders its license fee model, trying a tiered fee structure based on Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) or a hybrid of GGY and turnover.
The decision to explore new fee models came through after stakeholders raised concerns during a public consultation on the country’s upcoming gambling regulation framework. The original turnover-based model was criticized by industry members as its structure didn’t match the actual revenue.
The review includes 27 submissions to a 4-week consultation held in April and May. Most responses came from industry stakeholders and mentioned the affordability issues tied to the fee structure drafted in Ireland’s Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
A baseline fee of €20,000 for remote licences was described by operators as a “major” increase over the current system. The proposed €1,200 ($1,386) per premises charge was also seen as demanding for smaller land-based operators. GRAI said it would consider adjusting this based on operational scale, such as the number of gaming machines. The regulator also considers extending the proposed 3-year license term to 5 years.
While industry stakeholders suggested that Ireland review its fees in line with the UK, GRAI stated that the fees approach was not directly comparable due to various regulatory differences.
GRAI shared:
“Many of the regulatory obligations that will be part of the GRAI’s responsibilities are not part of the Gambling Commission’s remit in Great Britain and instead are part of the functions of the local councils.”
GRAI decided to issue 3 types of licences, including business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), and charity, though charity licence applications are not expected to open this year.
Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRAI) and the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), an agreement which will allow the two...
