Known formally as the National Gambling Exclusion Register, the system places self-exclusion under independent state administration rather than leaving it solely to individual commercial operators.
Putting the statutory scheme into effect has followed a step-by-step legislative timetable.
Remote B2C Licences and Centralised Operator Obligations
The register covers persons who exclude themselves from relevant gambling activities conducted by remote means with holders of Business to Consumer (B2C) gambling licences.
Under the legislation, the register is designed so that relevant licensees can query the system at their discretion to establish whether an individual has registered an exclusion. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has stated that if an excluded player attempts to gamble during their exclusion term, the licensed operator must take reasonable steps to stop them.
The state-managed list does not merge with existing commercial arrangements. Guidance published on gov.ie specifies that the register will be operated directly by the Authority, remaining entirely separate from any internal exclusion programmes run by private gambling bodies. To ensure public visibility of the system, the Act empowers the Authority to compel remote B2C licensees to take specific actions aimed at promoting the register across their platforms.
Player Request Options and the Seven-Day Balance Refund
When submitting an exclusion request, individuals apply directly to the Authority using a form specified by the regulator.
Information published on gov.ie outlines several choices available to applicants. A person may exclude themselves from:
- Specific gambling activities,
- Specific licensees,
- All licensed remote operators across the state,
- A defined, temporary duration or an indefinite period.
Once an entry is logged, statutory financial duties take effect immediately. The Authority notifies the relevant licensee or licensees identified under subsection (5)(c). Upon receipt of this notification, each named licensee must refund any funds remaining in the customer's gambling account within 7 days of the date specified in the notice, subject to subsection (7) of the Act and section 17 of the Act of 2010.
The Authority holds the continuous legal obligation to maintain the accuracy of the register, making corrections or alterations to individual entries as required.
Phased Statutory Commencement Orders
The statutory powers underpinning the register form part of a broader, phased rollout of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
Under Statutory Instrument No. 57 of 2025, the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (Commencement) Order 2025 brought an extensive initial tranche of sections into operation on 5 March 2025. That order commenced sections 1 to 5, section 6(1)(a) to (m), sections 7 to 19, 20 to 28, 29 to 35, 36 to 44, 46 to 58, 59 to 64, 65 to 73, 74, 75 to 88, 89 to 96, 97, 98 to 114, 115 to 125, 126 to 133, 134 to 140, 141 to 148, 149 to 160, 161 to 168, 169 to 176, 177 to 186, 187 to 194, 195 to 202, 203 to 210, 211 to 218, 219 to 226, and section 227.
A subsequent order, Statutory Instrument No. 31 of 2026, appointed 5 February 2026 for bringing additional statutory provisions into force. A Department of Justice release confirmed that this second commencement enabled the GRAI to begin processing operator licence applications and issuing licences under the new statutory terms.
Section 45 directs the GRAI to establish and maintain the National Gambling Exclusion Register as soon as practicable following that specific section coming into operation. With the GRAI now actively processing and issuing remote B2C operator licences, the operational enforcement of queries, notifications, and mandatory seven-day account refunds moves into alignment with the state's emerging licensing framework.