Checklist
Seven checks before you install a betting app
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.
Editorial team · checked
The seven checks
| # | 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. 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).
- The licence is held by the operator, not by the app.
Step by step: how to check a 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).
- Check the developer name against the licensee on the store page (ten listing checks).
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.
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.
- 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.
Next, run the nine first-deposit checks.
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.
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