Ireland's National Gambling Exclusion Register: What It Blocks and What It Does Not

Ireland has legislated for a national self-exclusion register, but the gap between the 2024 Act's mandate and today's operational reality remains the core story. The Gambling Regulation Act 2024, section 45, requires the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland to establish and maintain a register called the National Gambling Exclusion Register. However, reports from the Authority in May 2026 indicated it was still working on the system's design and development, and no commencement instrument has yet been published.

Creation of the Self-Exclusion Register

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is responsible for both creating and maintaining the national self-exclusion register. Ahead of formal commencement, the GRAI is working on the register's design and development. Once operational, the Act requires participants to apply directly to the Authority in a specified form. The register is intended to capture requests by persons to be excluded from business-to-consumer, remote gambling activities conducted by licensed operators, such as online casino and sports betting operators.

Obligations Facing Licensed Operators

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 specifies that upon commencement, the National Gambling Exclusion Register must be maintained so that licensees can check it in real-time to prevent excluded persons from gambling. Operators are not only required to check the register in real-time, but are also banned from allowing excluded persons to register for gambling, accepting funds for gambling, or sending out any marketing or communications that encourage or promote gambling. Citizens Information, in a guide to the register, notes that any licensed operator that breaches these obligations faces a penalty of five years in prison and/or a fine under the court's discretion.

The Remaining Role of Operator-Specific Exclusions

However, the National Gambling Exclusion Register will sit alongside, and not replace, services provided directly by operators to exclude individuals from individual operators. Section 48 of the Act, titled "Right of self-exclusion by person directly with licensee not affected", clarifies that persons can still enter into exclusion agreements directly with licensees, even after the national register is established. The GRAI has stated that bodies offering their own voluntary exclusion arrangements will continue to operate those independently of the national system.

Register's Completion and Limitations

The Gambling Authority has not yet published a commencement order to bring the register into force, nor has it released final details about how participants will join, what identity or exclusion duration their requests will specify, how existing balances on their account will be handled, or how much marketing they will receive before their requests are fully processed. The GRAI has stated that its legal obligations are contained in the Act and that it's moving as swiftly as practical towards creating and implementing the system. However, it has not set out a specific date by which it expects the system to formally open.

Moreover, while the national register covers all remote B2C gambling activities regulated by the GRAI, it does not apply directly to land-based venues, offshore operators, or non-licensed operators. The GRAI has cautioned the public that the register will not be a magic bullet.

Moving Forward

In summary, while Ireland has enacted a national self-exclusion register, it's not yet an operational system that a person or family can meaningfully interact with in everyday reality. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is heading towards launching the system, but neither the timeline nor the full range of its functionality have been finalized in concrete operational procedures. The national register represents a new tool in the fight against gambling addiction, but it remains important that persons consider all the options available to them, including the restrictions provided directly by individual operators.