Similarly to other European countries, demand for gambling services, and remote gambling services in particular, has been growing in the Republic of Ireland over the past several years. And so has the need for proper regulations that correspond to that contemporary demand.

The re-regulation of the local market has been a topic broadly discussed in the Oireachtas (the country’s legislature) for at least a decade now. However, the biggest progress in that regard was achieved in 2025 with the introduction of the Gambling Control Bill 2025. The bill is yet to be considered more comprehensively and eventually signed into law, but there have recently been signals that lawmakers may be ready to move forward with their efforts to update Ireland’s obsolete gambling regulatory regime.

The country’s original gambling-focused law came into effect back in 1931 with the introduction and the subsequent implementation of the Betting Act. More than two decades later, the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 came into effect, covering different other types of gambling options.

Running an industry by principles set several decades ago is far from being an effective approach to monitoring that same industry and protecting it and its consumers from wrongdoing. The topic for the need of new gambling laws was brought up for wider discussion in 2008, when a specially appointed Casino Committee presented the Regulating Gaming in Ireland report. Generally speaking, the 222-page piece outlined the necessary measures to be taken in order for the country’s gambling laws to be amended in a manner that show understanding of the needs of the contemporary gambling customer.

The Gambling Control Bill 2025 was the next step to indicate that Ireland may be ready to finally reform its gambling laws. When and if signed into law, the legislative piece will regulate the provision of different types of land-based and online gambling services and will introduce a licensing process that will make it possible for interested domestic and international gambling companies to provide licensed services to local players.

As mentioned above, the proposed gambling legislation overhaul has not seen much movement ever since. It seems, however, that 2025 may be the year when further actions are finally taken. Last month, David Stanton, the Irish Minister of State for Justice, made it known that he plans to advance the Gambling Control Bill in the country’s legislature and potentially have it voted and approved by the end of the year.

Given the complexity of planning and implementing such a massive overhaul of one industry or another, it seems that the government will introduce interim legislation that will bring much-needed upgrades to the gambling law, while the actual gambling bill is in the works.

The General Scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, a legislative piece that is in an advanced stage of its crafting, contains amendments that will be tacked onto the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 until the time for the general overhaul of the country’s gambling regulatory framework finally comes.

Ireland may also implement certain reforms in the way sports betting is taxed in the country. The Irish Department of Finance announced back in May that it would initiate a review of the country’s existing betting tax regime and whether it was the best one for the sports betting sector after the Betting (Amendment) Act 2025 came into effect.

The act in question emerged as an amendment to its predecessor from 1931 and under it, online betting operators and betting exchanges were included into the country’s licensing regime. The act provides for all sports betting operators to be taxed at 1% on annual turnover and for betting exchanges to pay a 15% commission tax.

Ireland-facing operators were asked to voice their opinion on whether they were content with the current taxation regime until Monday, February 19 and whether the turnover tax was the best possible model for taxation.