GRAI Charts Course for 2025–2027 with New Strategic Vision

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has unveiled its Statement of Strategy for 2025–2027, outlining the agency’s roadmap for building a secure, transparent, and socially responsible gambling environment. The three-year plan sets out how the newly established regulator will deliver on its public protection mandate while shaping Ireland’s evolving gambling landscape.

Established on a statutory basis in March 2025 under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, the GRAI operates as an independent, self-financing body within the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. Its creation marks a major milestone in Ireland’s efforts to strengthen oversight of the gambling industry and ensure consumer safety.

The strategy was formally launched by Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, alongside Paul Quinn, Chair of the Authority, and Anne Marie Caulfield, GRAI’s Chief Executive Officer.

Strengthening Ireland’s Gambling Framework

The Statement of Strategy highlights six priorities for 2025–2027: Licensing, Monitoring and Compliance, Enforcement, Consumer Protection and Awareness, People, Organisation and Governance, and Digital First. Each area includes defined goals and deliverables to promote transparency and reduce gambling harms.

Minister O’Callaghan commended the GRAI’s approach, saying: “I commend the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland on the publication of its first Statement of Strategy, which is an important milestone for the Authority, the gambling sector in Ireland and for the wider public.
This strategy is not just about regulation; it is about educating the public, protecting those vulnerable to gambling harm, and ensuring that the industry operates to the highest standards of integrity and social responsibility. As Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration I am committed to supporting the Authority in delivering on its mandate.”

Commitment to Public Protection

Chairperson Paul Quinn said the Authority’s mission is to ensure gambling in Ireland is “conducted in a safe, fair, and transparent manner, with the interests of individuals, families, and the wider community at its heart.”

He added that the strategy “sets out the roadmap to delivering a modern, fair, and trusted regulatory regime” through the development of new licensing, compliance, and enforcement structures aimed at reducing gambling harms and creating a well-regulated market.

CEOAnne Marie Caulfield noted that the plan “outlines the vision, mission, and values of the Regulator through to 2027,” detailing objectives from enforcing operator standards to supporting education and research initiatives.

Collaboration and Research Initiatives

The GRAI has also partnered with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) on the 2025 National Student Survey, developed with Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (formerly USI) and Ulster University’s School of Biomedical Sciences. The survey explores gambling, drug use, and mental health among third-level students.

Approved by Ulster University’s School of Biomedical Sciences Ethics Filter Committee, the 15-minute anonymous study features an optional prize draw hosted separately to protect participant privacy. Results will help inform future policy and support the GRAI’s evidence-based approach to regulation.

With its new strategy and ongoing partnerships, the GRAI aims to foster a transparent, fair, and socially responsible gambling environment — one that safeguards the public while holding the industry to high ethical standards.

Source:

“GRAI launch 2025-2027 Strategy Statement”, grai.ie, October 15, 2025