DragonBet, an operator incorporated in England and Wales, has been granted a Remote Bookmaker’s Licence to expand its reach into Ireland.
The news was announced on the company’s LinkedIn page, accompanied by a statement reading “we’re incredibly excited to welcome our new Irish customers as the business begins operating in a new country”.
Licensing duties are currently being handled by Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners tax entity. Interestingly, this is a process that has remained virtually unchanged since the last century, as set out in the Betting Act 1931 and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956.
However, this is due to change soon, with oversight duties transferred to the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) – a brand-new entity created with a recent legislative update to renew the very outdated gambling frameworks.
Back in 2021, the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael coalition government put forward the now-enacted Irish Gambling Act to replace provisions almost a 100 years old – a completely different time when the digital advancements and omnichannel, multinational companies of today were unheard of.
After a three-year consultation period and intense discussions at the top level of Irish politics, the new regulatory framework became a fact when it was approved by both chambers of the Oireachtas, the Dáil and the Seanad in 2024. With it came the foundations of the GRAI.
The new regulator’s full supervisory remit is expected to kick off sometime this year, with a two-year plan to achieve self-sufficiency already in action. This includes achieving five core goals until 2027 that cover licensing, compliance and monitoring, enforcement, digital infrastructure and consumer protections.
Furthermore, the creation of a Social Impact Fund is also expected, which will see operators pay into the fund for the treatment, prevention, and education of problem gambling and the issues related to it – similar to the Statutory Gambling Levy mandated by the UK Gambling Commission.
When this all comes into effect, all operators currently licensed in Ireland, including DragonBet, will have to re-apply for a new license granted by GRAI. This means that companies should have everything prepared for their applications by mid-2026.