Ireland moves to get mandatory gambling social fund up and running

The Irish government is pressing ahead with plans to set up a mandatory social fund gambling companies will be required to pay into annually. Ireland has notified the European Commission (EC) of its intention to establish the Social Impact Fund under the terms of its Gambling Regulation Act 2024. From 1 April 2027, licensed gambling companies in Ireland will be required to pay 1% of their turnover from the previous financial year into the fund, with money directed to support gambling harm prevention and treatment programmes throughout the country. Operators need to pay the 1% fee to the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) by 1 July each year, either by bank transfer or electronic payment. The 1% rate was decided jointly by the Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and the GRAI to ensure that the fund receives a regular and considerable amount of money each year without straining operators’ finances and commercial activity. Online operator turnover is defined in the Act as the total amount paid to the company for providing its betting and gaming services. What changed for Irish betting in 2026? Creation of a Social Impact Fund was a key measure of the 2024 Gambling Regulation Act, itself the culmination of a two-year legislative effort to modernise Ireland’s gambling regulations. Prior to the 2024 Act, Ireland’s gambling sector was governed by the nearly century-old Totalisator Act of 1929 and Betting Act of 1931, while licences were issued by state Revenue Commissioners. Policymakers, headed by the Department of Justice, needed to bridge the considerable gap between Ireland’s modern, online-driven betting market with over €5bn (£4.1bn) in estimated annual turnover and the outdated legislative framework. The Act created the GRAI as a new standalone, dedicated regulatory authority for the Irish gambling sector. The new regulator was set up in February 2025 and took over licensing duties from the Revenue Commissioners in June 2026. Setting up the Social Impact Fund in April next year continues this landmark regulatory realignment in the Republic of Ireland. It also comes amid conversations about potential tax increases and restrictions to operator advertising.