Agreement on gambling regulation between Ireland and the United Kingdom
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8 Apr 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes The Irish and UK gambling regulators have signed a landmark agreement to harmonise their efforts in regulating the sector, with the main aims of aligning regulations, protecting consumers and combating cross-border illegal activity. The aim of this cooperation is to enhance player safety, prevent addiction and better supervise operators, in particular by banning certain practices such as free betting. This partnership between the two countries, initiated following the adoption of the Gambling Regulation Bill in Ireland, marks a crucial step towards more consistent and effective regulation of the online gambling market.
In an unprecedented move, the Irish and UK gambling regulators have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at harmonising their efforts to regulate the gambling sector. This initiative marks a significant step forward in protecting consumers and combating illegal cross-border activity.
Background to the cooperation
Over the past few years, the online gambling sector has grown exponentially, posing major regulatory challenges for national authorities. Ireland, in particular, recently passed the Gambling Regulation Bill, a piece of legislation designed to modernise its regulatory framework and create an authority dedicated to regulating gambling.
For its part, the United Kingdom, through the UK Gambling Commission, has established framework agreements with various international organisations to strengthen cooperation and information sharing.
Objectives of the agreement
The agreement between Ireland and the United Kingdom has several key objectives.
- Harmonisation of regulations: Aligning standards and practices between the two countries to ensure consistent regulation of the gambling sector.
- Consumer protection: Putting in place common mechanisms to protect gamblers, particularly in terms of addiction prevention and support for vulnerable people.
- Combating illegal activities: Strengthening cooperation to identify and combat illegal operators operating across borders.
James Browne, Ireland’s Minister for Law Reform, said:
‘The publication of the general scheme is an important milestone towards the effective regulation of gambling in Ireland under the new, independent statutory body – the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.’
For her part, Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of GRAI, stressed the importance of this cooperation:
‘This Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Gambling Commission is an important step in formalising the working relationship between the two regulators. Ireland and the UK share many of the same operators and gambling practices, so putting this agreement in place will enhance our ability to share information and discharge our respective regulatory responsibilities effectively.’
Implications for operators and players
For gambling operators, this agreement means a need to adapt their practices to comply with the harmonised regulations of both countries. This could lead to changes in promotional offers, such as a ban on free bets and the use of credit cards for gambling, already envisaged in Irish legislation.
For players, this cooperation should mean better protection and a safer gaming experience, thanks to enhanced measures to prevent addiction and support people in difficulty.