About this site
About CasinoCraic
An independent guide for adults in Ireland, built on what the public registers actually show rather than on a licensed-and-regulated badge that means nothing locally.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 created the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, and the market has moved in stages since. Remote betting licences commenced on 1 July 2026. Gaming licence applications open across 2027 and 2028, and online casinos currently operate under overseas licences.
CasinoCraic is for adults in the Republic of Ireland who are deciding where to play. You need to know which licence actually covers the casino games, because every casino you can reach runs on an overseas licence, usually from Malta or Gibraltar. The legal age is 18 and over, and support options are listed on our responsible gambling page.
Why this site exists
Irish casino coverage leans on the phrase “licensed and regulated”. That wording often describes a Malta or Gibraltar licence. Irish casino licensing arrives in a later GRAI phase, so the phrase tells you little about the casino games.
The register held 40 licences on 6 October 2026. That count includes 35 remote betting licences, 4 remote betting intermediary licences and 1 in-person betting licence. It included no gaming licences at all.
- 18 and over The legal age for all gambling in Ireland.
- Credit cards Banned for gambling since 5 February 2026.
- GRAI register No gaming licences on 6 October 2026.
A GRAI number on an operator’s site covers its sportsbook. We check three public registers before we write about any casino: the GRAI register, the Malta Gaming Authority licensee register and the Gibraltar register of licence holders. The Gibraltar register publishes no licence numbers, only the holder and the category.
What we publish
These are the main sections, each with a distinct job.
Online casinos
Comparisons of Irish-facing brands, built from public registers, with an editorial transparency score out of 10.
Bonuses and games
Explanations of how offers and game mechanics work, using examples rather than live deals.
Payments
How euro deposits and withdrawals work, including the credit card ban and what to check before you pay.
Each transparency score follows a published rubric. It measures how well an operator’s licensing is documented and how easily you can verify it. It says nothing about payouts, game choice or how a casino feels to play.
The method behind those scores is public, and the same evidence supports every page. Our editorial guidelines set the rules for that work.
What we check, and what we don’t
We start by finding the company behind the casino, then look it up in the regulator’s own register. We treat a casino licence and a betting licence as separate things, even when one group holds both.
- We check the GRAI register, the MGA licensee register and the Gibraltar register of licence holders.
- We separate a casino licence from any GRAI betting licence held by the same company.
- We compare what an operator claims on its own pages against the register entries.
- We date every check and correct errors when they are found.
The transparency score measures documentation only. It says nothing about payouts, game choice or how a casino feels to play. We did not deposit, withdraw, count a lobby or open an account anywhere, and we do not quote current promotions.
Read the full method on the how we review page.
Who writes it
The editor is Ciarán Mac Eachmharcaigh. He works from the public registers and the published method, not from personal play or brand relationships.
CasinoCraic is independent and not affiliated with the GRAI or any operator. The same standard applies to every page, whatever the topic.
That independence is the reason we publish the register details, the company names and the date of each check.
How the site is funded
Some links to casinos are affiliate links. If you open an account through one, the operator may pay us.
Affiliate income never changes a score or the order of any list.
Read the affiliate disclosure for the full picture, including how links are marked.
Getting in touch and corrections
We correct errors and date every correction on the page where it appears. If something looks wrong or out of date, tell us through the contact page.
Public register entries change as the GRAI adds new licences. We update the pages when we confirm a change, and the correction date sits at the top of the page.