GGPoker was recently revealed as the first online poker operator to express interest in applying for a gaming license to offer online poker in Ireland. The licensing process for Irish gaming licenses opened earlier this month, as the new Gambling Regulation Act introduced the concept of local licenses for online gambling sites in Ireland for the first time.
A GGPoker spokesperson revealed to Poker Industry PRO: “We are currently actively engaged with the Irish regulator, and plan to pursue a licence for this market,” demonstrating the operator’s interest in being the first poker site to officially join the new regulated market.
While the interest on the part of GGPoker is now clear, many industry insiders have expressed their concerns regarding the regulated Irish online poker market, as current restrictions in the law make online poker games practically unfeasible.
How Does Ireland’s Proposed iGaming Market Look?
The Gambling Regulation Act of 2024 came into effect in October 2025 and created general provisions for a regulated igaming market in Ireland. The Irish government came up with the law after three years of legislative deliberation, and is now finally ready to start the licensing process.
Yet, even as gaming companies rush to apply for licenses in other regulated markets across Europe, most have remained quiet on the topic of Irish regulation to date, likely due to the extremely restrictive provisions within the Act.
Most importantly, the Gambling Regulation Act sets a max bet limit of €10 and a max win limit of €3,000, both of which would restrict igaming operators to providing low-stakes games only.
While the government cites player protections and responsible gambling practices as its reasons behind these provisions, it’s understandable that operators don’t share the same level of enthusiasm.
For online poker in particular, the limits would make cash games nearly impossible past the micro stakes, while multi-table tournaments and jackpot sit and goes would also be highly limited, if not entirely impossible.
Regardless of any opposition, the Gambling Regulation Act was passed with the betting limit provisions, and concrete steps toward regulation were finally taken this month, as the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) announced it was accepting applications for in-person and remote betting.
The GRAI received orders to open the license application process earlier in the month from Jim O’Callaghan, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration.
Will iGaming Regulation in Ireland Actually Work?
While most gaming operators have remained quiet in the wake of the new gambling laws being passed, AK Bets Founder Anthony Kaminskas commented: “If politicians want to solve problem gambling and have a functioning industry with no leakage to the unregulated market, it’s very important they speak to people like me. There’s an unbelievable lack of knowledge about the betting ecosystem.”
Kominskas’s concerns are valid, as they point out a clear flaw in the new regulation. If the licensed Irish operators are only allowed to offer micro-stakes games across the different verticals, players will rush to offshore gaming sites as an alternative.
When it comes to online poker in Ireland in particular, the Act does not explicitly define online poker, and GGPoker’s interest in applying for a license may indicate that GRAI has the intention of tweaking the rules for online poker operators in particular.
While the maximum bet size and maximum win limits are codified in law, the GRAI may have some leeway to reclassify poker as a separate game and change the max bet and win limits for online poker games only.
Exact details on how this might look may come into light in the coming weeks, as GGPoker makes its license bid official and other operators make their intentions known.
GGPoker Continues Its Licensing Spree
Along with PokerStars, GGPoker is the world’s most licensed online poker platform. The operator holds separate gaming licenses in markets like Belgium, Germany, the UK, Romania, the Philippines, the Netherlands, and Ontario. Most recently, GGPoker partnered with Danske Spil and entered the Danish igaming market as well.
On top of these, it also offers games through licensed partners in Armenia, Lebanon, and the Baltics.
Yet, despite its widespread licensing efforts, GGPoker has also remained somewhat selective in its choice of markets, as it has not yet applied for licenses in regulated markets like Sweden and Greece, or the segregated European markets of Spain, France, and Portugal.
GGPoker has also left WSOP’s online poker operations in the hands of Caesars, even after acquiring the world’s biggest poker brand in 2024.
The most recent bid to acquire a gaming license in Ireland appears to be a part of GGPoker’s greater licensing strategy, although the exact way in which it could offer online poker in the newly regulated market appears unclear at this time.
