# Seven checks before you install a betting app > Seven checks to run before you install a betting app in Ireland: GRAI register, licence number, route to the app, store source, 18+ tools, payment and limit. Source: https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/before-you-install-a-betting-app/ Updated: 2026-11-07 Run seven checks before you install a betting app in Ireland: the brand is in the GRAI register, the licence number and expiry match, you reached the app from the operator's own site, you install from the store only, 18+ and control tools are visible, you pay without a credit card and you set your own limit first. If any check fails, stop. ## The seven checks **Pre-install checklist. Source: GRAI register; Gambling Regulation Act 2024 · checked 7 November 2026** | # | Check | Where to look | Fail if | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | Brand and licensee are in the register | GRAI licence register, filter Business to Consumer | No entry: Not found on the day | | 2 | Licence number and expiry match | The register card: Licence Number, Activity, Issue Date, Expiry Date | Number differs, licence expired, or activity is not remote betting | | 3 | You reached the app from the operator's own site | The licence number shown on the operator's site | You came from an advert, message or search result you cannot trace | | 4 | Store only, no APK | App Store or Google Play, Irish storefront | Any link to a file or a third-party page | | 5 | 18+ and control tools are visible | Sign-up screens and settings | No 18+ notice and no limit, break or exclusion option | | 6 | Payment is not a credit card | The deposit screen | It accepts a credit card (s.165) | | 7 | Your own limit is set before the first deposit | Limits in the account | You cannot find where to set one (s.164) | **In short:** seven checks, each with a clear fail condition. ## Checks 1 and 2: the register - Open the [GRAI register](https://www.grai.ie/register/licence-register). Filter Business to Consumer and search by name. - Match the licence number. The format is GRAI-NNNN-RB-26-NNNN. RB is remote betting and RBI is a remote betting intermediary. IPB is in-person betting. - A licence runs for 3 years. Check the expiry date. - The old Revenue list is not proof ([why](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/is-the-revenue-bookmaker-list-still-valid/)). - The licence is held by the operator, not by the app. Step by step: [how to check a licence](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/check-a-betting-app-licence/). **In short:** no match in the register means no install. ## Checks 3 and 4: route and source - A licensee must show a copy of its licence and number on each online platform (s.110(1)(a)(ii), in force since 5 February 2026). - The register's Domain Names field was empty for all 40 entries in our notes. So match the number shown on the operator's site, not the domain. - Install only from the App Store or Google Play. Do not use APK files ([why](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/is-an-apk-download-safer-than-the-store/)). - Check the developer name against the licensee on the store page ([ten listing checks](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/read-a-betting-app-store-listing/)). **In short:** the number is on the operator's site; the app comes from the store. ## Checks 5 to 7: people, payment, limit - Licensed operators must let you set a money limit (s.164) and show wins, losses and time on your account (s.173(4)). - The operator's main page must link to parental controls (s.174). - Credit cards, and e-wallets funded by credit cards, are banned (s.165). - Set your own limit before you deposit: [deposit limit steps](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/set-a-deposit-limit-in-a-betting-app/). **In short:** controls exist in law; set yours before you deposit. ## If a check fails - **Check 1 or 2 fails.** Do not install or deposit. Note the date you looked. - **Check 3 or 4 fails.** Delete anything you downloaded. Compare with the [red flags](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/fake-betting-app-red-flags/). - **Check 5, 6 or 7 fails.** Do not deposit. Ask the operator in writing where the control sits. - **You already deposited.** Contact your bank, then follow the order in the [complaints guide](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/complain-about-a-betting-app/). Next, run the [nine first-deposit checks](https://beforeyouinstall.com/guides/before-your-first-deposit-from-a-phone/). **In short:** a failed check means stop; the first two mean do not deposit at all. ## How we checked - Register format, record count and last-updated date come from our country notes, recorded on 6 November 2026. Re-check on the day. - Law: Gambling Regulation Act 2024, ss.110, 164, 165, 173 and 174. - Not checked: the live register card of any operator. We did not install any app. **In short:** the rules are sourced; no live operator was checked. ## What changed - 7 November 2026: first version of this page. **In short:** no earlier versions exist. ## Related questions **Does the licence belong to the app or to the operator?** To the operator. The GRAI licenses operators, not apps. The app is checked against the operator's register entry. **Is the old Revenue bookmaker list still proof of a licence?** No. After 1 July 2026 do not use it as proof. Revenue licences for remote betting ran only until 30 June 2026. Use the GRAI register. **How big is the GRAI register?** Our notes recorded 40 business-to-consumer entries on 6 November 2026, with the register last updated on 20 October 2026. Check the register again on the day you install. 18+ only. Gambling can be addictive – play responsibly. Set limits, take breaks and never bet more than you can afford to lose. Free 24/7 support: 1800 936 725 · gamblingcare.ie. More on [responsible gambling](https://beforeyouinstall.com/responsible-gambling/). **In short:** 18+ only; help is free and open 24/7. ## FAQ **Does the licence belong to the app or to the operator?** To the operator. The GRAI licenses operators, not apps. The app is checked against the operator's register entry. **Is the old Revenue bookmaker list still proof of a licence?** No. After 1 July 2026 do not use it as proof. Revenue licences for remote betting ran only until 30 June 2026. Use the GRAI register. **How big is the GRAI register?** Our notes recorded 40 business-to-consumer entries on 6 November 2026, with the register last updated on 20 October 2026. Check the register again on the day you install.