Formally established in March 2025, the GRAI’s role is to licence, supervise and control gambling activities as set out in the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.

In its first year of existence, the GRAI undertook significant preparatory work as it set about building a modern, robust framework to regulate the gambling sector in Ireland.

At the core of this work was the Authority’s Statement of Strategy 2025-2027, which sets out a roadmap for the first stage of regulation which focuses on building strong foundations, developing robust systems of licensing, compliance and enforcement, and engaging openly with stakeholders across society. Six pillars underpin the GRAI’s strategy for the first three years: licensing; monitoring and compliance; enforcement; consumer protection and awareness; people, organisation, and governance; and a digital-first approach

The 2025 Annual Report outlines the initial steps taken, with the GRAI developing processes for the rollout of phased licensing and laying the groundwork for compliance, enforcement, and consumer protection functions.