The gambling regulator warned it would have to stall key reforms due to a funding shortfall, including regulating “totally unlicensed” remote gaming and overseas-based black-market gambling.
In a letter to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan earlier this year, the newly established Gambling Regulatory Authority said it had been given just half the budget allocation it sought for 2026.
It said the shortfall would have “a significant impact on the pace at which [it] will regulate gambling in Ireland, thereby lessening the impact that it will have in the short term”.
It said it would not be possible to progress its plans to regulate the gambling industry – which it said had a turnover of between €12 billion and €14 billion annually.
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While it aims to be self-financing in three years, the authority had asked for €26 million in Budget 2026 – but was allocated just €13.35 million.
In March, it said it had “regrettably reached the decision that a number of key objectives ... will need to be deferred or reduced in scope due to the shortfall in resources allocated”.
Licensing of remote gaming – which covers online slots and casinos – would have to be pushed back to next year. The authority confirmed last week that there had been “some delays due to resources” in initiating this, and that systems for registration for operators would go live early next year.
It also warned that it would have “very limited capacity and capability” for compliance and enforcement, including having to “de-prioritise measures to tackle extraterritorial black-market monitoring on enforcement”.
It said this was “regrettable in terms of harmful gambling and anti-money laundering”. It also warned of a “significant risk” that a lack of regulation would make it hard for Ireland to achieve compliance with standards set down by the international Financial Action Task Force.
A spokesman for the authority said enforcement activity commenced and that dozens of operators, including two major prediction markets and an international online gambling platform had blocked access for users from Ireland.
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It has reallocated staff and budget had enabled this, helped by an additional €2.8 million allocated to it by the Department of Justice in early August. In March, it had sought the department’s consent to retain millions of euro in application fees paid by betting firms.
It said it was prioritising its resources in areas where it can be most effective, but added: “Further resources would allow us greater scope to detect unlicensed operators.”
The authority said that ensuring it was appropriately resourced is a matter of “fundamental importance”. “Effective regulation depends not only on legislative powers, but on the capacity to exercise those powers independently, consistently and over time.”
A spokesman for the department said there was “strong and continuing commitment” to support the authority, which he said has responsibility for its own operations.
“The authority is entitled to make a case for resources, as is the case for any organisation that is publicly funded.”
It said the 2026 budget was a 92 per cent increase on the previous year.
