FOR many people, gambling is an activity undertaken every once in a while, perhaps on a big football match or a horse racing event. But, research from the Economic Social and Research Institute (ESRI) has found that one in every 30 adults in Ireland experience gambling harm
Problem gambling is where someone is unable to manage their gambling habits despite attempts to stop. It can lead to financial problems, poor mental health, and deteriorating relationships with family or friends.
Gambling is hard to avoid. It is no longer a case of having to go into a bookies shop or attend a race meeting; smartphones have put a casino in every pocket, and online gambling is available 24 hours a day. The ESRI found that the rapidly evolving nature of technology and widespread access to the internet means that those under 40 have been exposed to a much higher level of gambling marketing and advertising than older adults.
Recognising the need to prevent gambling harm and to regulate the industry, the Government has passed legislation to establish a new independent statutory authority: Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).
Once established, the GRAI will: Ensure that gambling within the State is regulated; establish safeguards to address problem gambling; regulate advertising in relation to gambling to support those safeguards; work to prevent gambling from being a source or support to crime, and support research, education, and awareness in relation to gambling harms.
The GRAI will have the power to license, monitor, and control gambling activities in Ireland and will establish the standards for gambling products and services. It will licence the gambling industry, meaning that companies or organisations that offer gambling services will be thoroughly vetted and held to high standards in order to protect people from the negative side of gambling. The GRAI will also monitor and enforce compliance by licensees and will have powers to sanction companies or organisations who break the law.
The establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland will be an important development in ensuring a well-regulated gambling sector while protecting the public from gambling harms. The GRAI will ensure that licensees operate in accordance with the legislation while also fulfilling its mandate to establish safeguards to address problem gambling.
At the heart of the GRAI and its work is a public health mandate to protect the most vulnerable in society, including and especially children, from harms associated with gambling activity and advertising. Although legally you must be 18 before you can make a bet in Ireland, children are often exposed to gambling very early in their lives. The GRAI will have the power to prescribe the times, platforms, places, and events where gambling advertising can be broadcast, displayed, or published. It will specify the frequency at which advertising can be broadcast, the duration of advertisements, and the number of advertisements that can be shown.
A Social Impact Fund will be established, funded by mandatory contributions from licensed businesses and organisations to finance research and related initiatives to address problem gambling behaviours. The Fund will also support awareness–raising and educational measures and will support problem gambling treatment activities. Over time, Ireland’s first National Gambling Exclusion Register will be established. This will allow those who would like to exclude themselves from online gambling to register with the Authority and licensees will not be able to accept online bets from them. Resources for those seeking help or assistance in dealing with problem gambling will also be readily available.
The signing into law of the Gambling Regulation Act 2022 is an important milestone towards the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, which will ensure a well-regulated gambling sector while protecting the public from gambling harms.

Anne Marie Caulfield is the CEO Designate of the GRAI.