IE Ireland · Guide

Lotteries and raffles in Ireland.

Ireland is moving to a new regime. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland began licensing betting in February 2026, and in-person and remote lottery licences are on the way. Until they open, lotteries still run under Garda permits and District Court licences.

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01 At a glance

The short version.

Regulator: Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), licensing in phases since February 2026
Licensing so far: Betting applications opened on 5 February 2026 and the first licences were issued in July 2026. Remote gaming follows through 2026 and 2027.
Lottery licences: In-person and remote lottery licences are planned, for lottery products the GRAI will prescribe. Opening dates have not been announced.
Lotteries today: Garda permits, with prizes up to €5,000 a week, and District Court licences, up to €30,000 a week or €360,000 once a year with at least 25% to the cause
Charitable licence: Not expected to open in 2026. It will cap prizes at €30,000 a week, with at least 30% of takings to the cause.
Free entry routes: No exemption like Great Britain's. Paying money for a chance to win a prize is a lottery.

02 The models

How draws run, now and next.

Until the GRAI opens lottery licensing, the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, as amended in 2019, still governs lotteries, and the GRAI directs new applicants to the Gardaí and the courts.

Garda lottery permit

For smaller charitable or philanthropic draws, including most club lotto. Prizes of up to €5,000 a week and tickets of up to €10.

District Court lottery licence

For bigger draws: up to €30,000 in prizes a week, or €360,000 for a single annual draw, with at least a quarter of proceeds going to the cause.

Promotional lotteries

Draws run alongside selling a product or service. Under the 2024 Act they will need no licence when the only payment is the product itself and winnings stay within €5,000.

GRAI lottery licences

In-person and remote lottery licences under the 2024 Act, for lottery products the GRAI will prescribe. The licensed route for paid draws once they open.

+ Know before you run

What is changing.

The GRAI started taking betting licence applications on 5 February 2026 and issued its first licences in July 2026. Remote gaming follows, and lottery licensing comes after that.
In-person and remote lottery licences will cover lottery products the GRAI prescribes. Until they open, the GRAI tells new applicants to use the Gardaí and the courts.
The charitable and philanthropic licence is not expected to open in 2026. It will cap prizes at €30,000 a week and require at least 30% of takings to go to the cause.
Small charity lotteries with up to €2,000 in winnings, €5 entry and 1,500 tickets, and product promotions with up to €5,000 in winnings, will not need a licence.
The 2024 Act defines a lottery as paying money for an opportunity to win a prize. A free postal entry route does not change that for the people who paid.
The February 2026 commencement order also banned credit cards as a way to pay for gambling.

03 Questions

Common questions.

Is the GRAI issuing licences?

Yes, in phases. Betting licence applications opened on 5 February 2026 and the first licences were issued in July 2026. Remote gaming follows, and in-person and remote lottery licences come later, on dates the GRAI has not yet announced.

Can you run a prize draw with free postal entry in Ireland?

Not as a way around licensing. Ireland has no free entry exemption like Great Britain's, and the 2024 Act defines a lottery as paying money for an opportunity to win a prize, so a free route does not change things for the people who paid. Draws that are entirely free to enter are a different matter.

Are online raffles legal in Ireland?

Charitable and philanthropic draws, including club lotto, are widely run online under Garda permits and District Court licences. The permit or licence conditions apply however tickets are sold.

When will GRAI lottery licences be available?

The GRAI has not announced dates. The charitable and philanthropic licence is not expected to open in 2026, and until lottery licensing opens the GRAI directs new applicants to Garda permits and District Court licences.

Do UK-style prize competitions work in Ireland?

Be careful. Paid competitions that rely on Great Britain's free entry route have no equivalent footing in Ireland. Whether a genuine skill competition falls outside the 2024 Act's broad lottery definition is a question for Irish legal advice.

How does club lotto work legally?

GAA and other club draws run under a Garda permit or a District Court licence, depending on the size of the prize fund, with proceeds going to the club's charitable or community purposes.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on exactly how a draw is run, so take advice for your own model. Reviewed September 2026.

04 Access

Running draws in Ireland? Talk to us.

Irish draws are heading for GRAI licensing and closer scrutiny. Every Blockdraws draw is sealed in advance and verifiable by anyone, under your own name.

Blockdraws is white-label draw software with every draw verifiable by anyone. Available by application.

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