Ireland’s GRAI considers tiered fees and longer licenses after industry consultation

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has shown that it’s open to making some important changes to how it handles licensing, after hearing from a wide range of industry stakeholders.

In its Public Consultation Response Report released in May 2025, the Authority shared a few updates it’s actively considering. This includes introducing a tiered licensing fee structure based on Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) and possibly extending license durations to five years.

The public consultation on Licensing Regulations are now open for submissions.

We would welcome the views of stakeholders, including operators and the public on the proposed regulations.

For more information on how to take part please visit: https://t.co/cgpLMoGiYA pic.twitter.com/SgzxuRW5NI

— Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (@GambRegIRL) April 9, 2025

Industry pushback spurs review

Over a four-week consultation period, the GRAI received 27 submissions, most of which came from within the gambling industry. The feedback showed concern about the cost of the proposed licensing fees by the GRAI and how they were calculated.

“Twelve respondents, primarily industry operators, cited concerns with the cost of the application fee,” the report notes. Some of the feedback questioned whether using turnover as the basis for the fee structure was the right approach, describing it as “unclear and not aligned to what is widely used within the industry.”

“A turnover based system creates a disconnect between fees and actual operator revenue and could threaten the sustainability of specialised betting offerings in the Irish market.”

One submission argued that this approach “penalises low margin businesses,” while others described the €1,200 per premises fee as particularly harsh on small operators.

In response, the GRAI has stated it will “consider a tiered licensing fee model that is based on Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) or a hybrid of turnover and GGY, to ensure proportionality,” adding that such a model would “enhance fairness, and minimise market distortion.”

GRAI calls for longer license durations and tiered fees

The consultation showed that many people were unhappy with the idea of a three-year license term. Out of the 11 submissions that mentioned this, most recommended switching to five-year licenses instead. The report stated: “A 5-year term was the most suggested term length… Three respondents state that the proposed term length is out of step with certain other European countries.”

Some of the concerns were about the extra paperwork involved in renewals and whether the approach really lines up with European standards. To address this, the authority is now considering a transition: “Consider a 5-year licence term, or provide for longer licence-term durations for operators demonstrating strong compliance histories.”

The report added that “a risk-based duration model incentivises good governance and reduces the administrative burden of renewals.”

The GRAI said it is also focused on improving transparency and engagement. Pointing out recurring “ambiguity in terminology,” the report then recommended publishing “clear definitions for financial terms such as ‘turnover’, along with transparent methodologies for calculating fees.”

Stakeholders stressed how important it is to keep the lines of communication open and to make sure everyone has a seat at the table. The GRAI affirmed that it will “formalise multi-stakeholder engagement… through structured consultation processes,” and will publish an “implementation timeline for the proposed introduction for the various layers of standards and additional conditions attaching to licences.”

Despite the concerns raised, the GRAI observed that a “minority of submissions raise concerns,” suggesting overall cautious support for the regulatory direction. That said, the authority admitted that for regulation to really work, it needs to be fair, open, and in tune with both the realities businesses face and the needs of the public.

As one key takeaway, the report highlights that the proposed reforms aim to “support those safeguards” designed to protect consumers, while ensuring a level playing field for operators: “This approach enhances fairness… and helps operators prepare with confidence.”

ReadWrite has reached out to the GRAI for comment.

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