712. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of illegal gambling operators and websites have been identified, investigated, subject to enforcement action, and shut down by the relevant authorities in each of the years 2021 to date, inclusive. [3404/26]

713. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the resources - including staffing levels, technical capacity, and budgetary allocations currently dedicated to the investigation and enforcement of illegal gambling activity; and whether these resources are considered sufficient given the rapid growth of unlicensed online operators. [3405/26]

714. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the powers the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland has, or will have under the new gambling legislation, to block illegal gambling websites, disrupt payment processing and advertising, cooperate with international regulators, and pursue operators based outside the State but targeting Irish consumers. [3406/26]

715. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if analysis has been undertaken of international experience, including recent developments in the Netherlands, where increased gambling-related taxation reportedly led to significant revenue shortfalls and market displacement to the black market; and the lessons being applied in an Irish context. [3408/26]

716. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the engagement which has taken place with licensed gambling operators, financial institutions, and technology platforms to prevent illegal gambling operators from accessing Irish customers through crypto payments, offshore sportsbooks, and unlicenced online casinos. [3409/26]

717. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific measures being taken to protect vulnerable individuals, including those self-excluded from licenced operators, from being targeted by illegal gambling sites that operate outside Irish regulatory and consumer protection frameworks. [3410/26]

718. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he accepts that illegal gambling now poses a dual risk to public health and gambling harm reduction, and Exchequer revenue and consumer protection; and if so, the additional legislative or enforcement actions planned to address this growing threat. [3411/26]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: I propose to take Questions Nos. 712, 713, 714, 715, 716, 717 and 718 together.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 was enacted on 23 October 2024 and established a new, independent statutory body – Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (the Authority / GRAI). I signed the orders to commence the first provisions of the Act and to establish the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) on a statutory basis on 4 March 2025. The establishment day for the GRAI was 5 March.

The GRAI’s Strategy Statement 2025-2027, prepared under section 30 of the Act, launched on 15 October 2025, identifies clear goals and objectives for the Authority over the coming years. The Act provides for a new streamlined, simplified, and coherent licensing framework which reflects the nature of modern gambling in the State and for a robust regulatory regime to regulate gambling in-person and online that will replace the existing, fragmented systems which date back to 1929.

The GRAI is an independent regulator under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and the GRAI’s powers will be rolled out on a phased basis. Consistent with the provisions in section 40 of the Act, it is expected that the GRAI will become self-financing within a three-year period following establishment and is at present being funded through the Vote of my Department. The GRAI has been allocated a budget of €13.32m for 2026 to enable it to carry out its functions, which represents an increase of 92% on its budget allocation in 2025.

The GRAI is responsible for establishing a comprehensive licensing regime encompassing all licence categories under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, including betting, gaming, lotteries, business to consumer, business to business operations, and charitable or philanthropic initiatives. The Authority will begin its licensing and enforcement functions on a phased basis and I expect to commence the necessary provisions of the Act to allow the Authority to do so early this year. Once the relevant provisions of the Act are commenced, the Act will provide the Authority with the necessary enforcement powers, to take appropriate and focused action, where licensees fail to comply with its provisions and with the Authority’s licensing terms, conditions, and regulations.

The Act provides the Authority with extensive powers to deal with unlicensed operators, those operating without the correct licence, or those in contravention of the terms of a licence issued by the Authority. In addition to offences concerning breaches of the new licensing regime, the Act also provides for the ability of the Authority, via court order, to block:

• internet service provision of a prohibited gambling activity or by unlicensed providers (both inside and outside the State);
• advertising of gambling activities by unlicensed providers;
• financial payments to unlicensed providers;
• the disposal of assets (by such an unlicensed provider) or reducing assets below a certain level; and
• to compel the surrender of any gambling products used in the provision of prohibited gambling services.

The Act provides the Authority with sufficient scope and flexibility to keep licensees’ compliance under review and, depending on the nature of any contravention of a licence or breach of the Act, the Authority may bring criminal prosecutions for a number of offences, with penalties ranging to up to eight years imprisonment and, or, a fine at the discretion of the Courts. Alternatively, the Authority may seek to impose administrative sanctions with penalties of up to 10% of a licensee’s turnover.

Section 45 of the Act specifies that the GRAI shall establish and maintain a National Gambling Exclusion Register, which shall contain information on persons who have excluded themselves from participating in relevant gambling activities by remote means with licensees of Business to Consumer gambling licences. The Register will enable an individual to request that they be excluded from participating in remote gambling indefinitely and is an important public health protection measure. The provisions of the Act underpinning the Register reflect how such exclusion schemes work in other jurisdictions and international best practice for how such systems operate. In that context, the Government has no plans to extend the scope of the Register to in-person operators.

Gambling in the State is currently licensed and regulated under the provisions of the Totalisator Act 1929, the Betting Act 1931, and the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. The enforcement of both the 1929 and 1931 Acts is the responsibility of the Department of Finance and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, while the 1956 Act is enforced by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and An Garda Síochána. In this context, my Department does not hold the specific information sought by the Deputy regarding enforcement actions.

If any person has knowledge of a crime being committed, including the operation of unlicenced gambling, I would urge them to report this to their local/nearest Garda station.