Ireland is increasing anti-money laundering controls around gambling as part of its first National Anti-Money Laundering Strategy, with the sector identified among those considered particularly exposed to financial crime risks.
The strategy, launched by Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris in August 2026, covers anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and counter-proliferation financing. It follows Ireland’s 2026 National Risk Assessment and is intended to strengthen coordination between regulators, law-enforcement agencies and financial institutions.
Gambling has been singled out for increased oversight because betting and gaming services can potentially be used to move or disguise illicit funds. The government plans to improve supervision across vulnerable sectors while expanding the exchange of financial intelligence between public authorities.
The new framework is built around five priorities: stronger national coordination, improved identification of financial-crime risks, tougher regulation, greater capabilities across the public and private sectors, and closer international cooperation.
GRAI takes a central role
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland will play a significant part in implementing the tighter controls. GRAI became operational in March 2025 under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which introduced a new regulatory structure covering online and land-based gambling, betting and certain lottery activities.
Ireland reached another milestone on 9 February 2026 when GRAI opened applications for Remote Betting, Remote Betting Intermediary and In-Person Betting licences.
Applicants face suitability and financial checks, including assessments of their financial resources and capacity to meet customer liabilities. The wider regulatory framework also requires operators to demonstrate that their activities and funding are compatible with Ireland’s rules against criminal involvement in gambling.
GRAI has enforcement powers that can lead to sanctions including financial penalties, licence suspension or revocation, while serious breaches may also result in criminal proceedings. Preventing gambling from being used as a source of support for crime is one of the core objectives of the new regulatory system.
Agencies to share more intelligence
Ireland’s approach will rely heavily on cooperation between GRAI and other bodies involved in financial-crime enforcement. The gambling regulator already participates in the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Steering Committee.
The government intends to strengthen information sharing between departments, An Garda Síochána, Revenue, Financial Intelligence Unit Ireland, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Central Bank of Ireland and financial institutions.
That broader network is designed to make it easier to identify suspicious transactions crossing between gambling, banking and other sectors rather than examining activity within individual industries in isolation.
The authorities are also focusing on crypto-assets and cross-border crypto transfers. Ireland’s AML strategy identifies emerging technologies and increasingly complex international financial networks as additional challenges for investigators attempting to trace the origin and movement of criminal proceeds.
The measures add another layer to Ireland’s wider overhaul of gambling regulation as GRAI continues building the licensing, monitoring and enforcement regime introduced under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.