Online gambling: licenses are issued offshore, but the market is actively developing

1) Where we are now: "double reality"

Online betting (bookmakers, exchanges) - legal and receive Irish permits under the updated regime for remote operators.

Online casinos, slots and part of RNG games are historically without a national license, so brands operate through offshore jurisdictions (most often Malta, Gibraltar, Maine, less often Curacao).

For the player, it looks like this: familiar brands are available in the vie environment, applications and web versions work to high standards, but the "crusts" for the casino part are not Irish, but offshore.

The key paradox: the lack of a local license did not prevent the development of UX, payment infrastructure and responsible gaming practices - the market evolved "according to the best European standards," relying on EU/EEA licenses and its own internal compliance policies.

2) Why offshore - and why it's not "wildness"

1. Legal gap. Irish basic acts historically covered betting and lotteries, but did not provide a full-fledged framework for online casinos.

2. European specialization. MGA (Malta), Gibraltar and O-in Maine have been building a "full cycle" for online operators for decades: content audits, payments, AML/KYC, IT controls.

3. Speed economics. Obtaining and maintaining an offshore license for a casino portfolio is faster and more predictable than waiting for a local reform, especially for large holdings with multi-markets.

Result: offshore license ≠ "gray." Most are strong. ie brands adhere to strict compliance, use certified game providers and implement Safer Gambling tools at the level of leading European markets.

3) What grows fastest

Mobile betting and live content. Applications with instant onboarding, cashout and personal event feeds; in the casino part - live tables, game shows, fast navigation.

Payments through open banking and wallets. Instant deposits/withdrawals, card tokenization, 3DS2, behavioral anti-fraud.

Gamification and CRM. Missions/levels, personal offers, accurate promotional mechanics with RG restrictions.

Analytics and AI regtech. Behavioral risk signals, "soft-stops," dynamic limits and contextual reminders.

4) Responsible Gambling: de facto standards

Even in the offshore model, Irish brands are building an RG package on the European model:

verification of age and identity, source of funds (SoF) for risk segments;
deposit/loss/time limits, timeouts, self-exclusion;
transparent bonus rules, clear indication of probabilities and RTP;
training pages and profile assistance contacts.

This is not just "goodwill": this reduces regulatory and reputational risks, simplifies the transition to a future Irish license.

5) Offshore License Map for. ie-brands (classic)

Malta (MGA) is a rich online casino supervision practice, rigorous technical and financial checks recognized by RNG/RTP testing laboratories.

Gibraltar is the traditional base for sportsbook holdings and complex portfolios.

Maine Island - emphasis on IT controls, sustainability and financial discipline.

Curaçao is less common for. ie-audiences; used by individual providers, but the trend is towards "white" European jurisdictions.

6) Risks of "offshore" life - and how they are closed

Requirements fragmentation. Different regulators - different reporting formats → are solved by the unification of internal policies, ISO processes and unified SLAs with providers.

Marketing and tonal advertising. Irish creatives and offers synchronize with stricter standards (time limits, age targeting, abandonment of youth-appeal).

Payments and disputes. Withdrawal SLAs, independent ADRs/mediators, clear timelines and escalation channels.

The main idea: large brands are already living "like under a local license" in order to fit into the new rules painlessly tomorrow.

7) Horizon 2025-2027: The role of GRAI

With the launch of GRAI and a new regulatory framework, the transition from an offshore model to a single Irish license for online gaming is expected:

a national register of self-exclusion;
banning credit cards and strict payment standards;
Centralized B2C/B2B licensing and enhanced oversight
uniform requirements for advertising and digital communications.

What will this give the market: predictability, understandable "rules of the game" for all verticals, less legal uncertainty and higher consumer protection - while maintaining the technological pace (mobile, live, open banking, AI-regtech).

8) Practical checklist for operators/affiliates

1. Compliance-by-design: uniform KYC/AML/SoF policies, provider audits, ISO controls, end-to-end logs.

2. RG tools "in one click": limits, timeout, self-exclusion, transparent bonuses, visibility of expenses/time in the interface.

3. Payment UX: instant payments, clear ETA, NPS metric by conclusions - as the main KPI of loyalty.

4. Creative and targeting: protection of minors, correct tonality, zero tolerance for "pseudo-shifts."

5. GRAI readiness: mapping of offshore → requirements into future Irish licenses, a register of self-exclusion, a single reporting loop.

Bottom line:

Online gambling for the Irish player has long become convenient, fast and relatively safe by European standards - despite the fact that formal licenses for the casino part are issued offshore. The market does not "wait for the weather by the sea": it has developed itself - through mobile UX, live content, open banking and strict internal compliance. The next step is to localize this progress in the new GRAI system: a single license, uniform standards and an even more transparent, secure and mature online market in Ireland.