Report a gambling ad in Ireland correctly
This guide explains how to report a gambling advertisement in Ireland, which body handles which kind of complaint, and what evidence makes a report worth reading. It is written for anyone who has seen a betting or casino ad on television, on a bus, in a feed or in their inbox and believes it crossed a line. We checked the published complaint pages of the Advertising Standards Authority and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, along with the text of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, so the routes described here are the ones those bodies set out themselves.
Who handles gambling ad complaints in Ireland
Two bodies matter when you want to report a gambling ad in Ireland, and they do different jobs. The Advertising Standards Authority, still widely called the ASAI, handles complaints about the content or targeting of a marketing communication, and its code carries a dedicated section on gambling. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, the GRAI, investigates whether a licensed operator has breached its obligations under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024.
For most people the ASAI is the place to start.
Its complaint page offers free routes for the public, including anonymous advertisement reporting and a formal complaint, and a formal complaint requires your full name and contact details for verification. The GRAI route is narrower. Its complaints page says it looks at alleged breaches by operators on its register of licensed betting operators, that it cannot investigate breaches of obligations that have not been commenced, and that it cannot investigate conduct before the operator received a GRAI licence, with 1 July 2026 named as the relevant date. Section 180 of the Act provides the legal basis for those complaints.
Neither body resolves a personal dispute about your account or a withheld bonus; the GRAI states plainly that such disputes go to the operator first.
Filing a gambling ad complaint step by step
The sequence below follows the evidence lists published by the ASAI and the GRAI. Gathering the material before you open either form saves a second round of correspondence.
- Step 1
Capture the ad before it disappears
Take a screenshot or screen recording, note the URL, platform or physical location, and write down the date and time you saw it. Online ads rotate quickly, so a record made on the spot matters more than memory. - Step 2
Identify the advertiser and its licence
Note the brand name shown in the ad. Then check whether that operator appears on the GRAI register of licensed betting operators, because this decides whether the GRAI route is open to you. - Step 3
Choose the body that fits
Use the ASAI for content or targeting concerns such as youth appeal or misleading offers. Use the GRAI form for a suspected breach of a commenced obligation under the Act by a GRAI licensee. - Step 4
Submit a factual, specific complaint
Describe what the ad showed, where it appeared and why you think it breaches the code or the Act. Attach your evidence, avoid claiming a verdict, and keep a copy of everything you send.
What the rules on gambling advertising actually cover
Part 6 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 sets out the advertising obligations, with section 143 covering licensees’ general duties and section 148 listing prohibited material in an advertisement. Sections 145 to 147 deal with on-demand media, social media and video-sharing platforms, and electronic communications such as marketing emails and texts.
Being in the Act is not the same as being in force.
Irish legislation takes effect only when a minister signs a commencement order, and the GRAI itself warns that it cannot investigate obligations that have not been commenced. The daytime watershed in section 149, which would bar gambling ads on television, radio and on-demand media between 5.30am and 9pm, was reported in late August 2026 as still awaiting its order, so check the GRAI’s list of commenced obligations before relying on it in a complaint. Until a given provision is commenced, the ASAI code remains the working standard for that issue, and its gambling section covers responsible-gambling messages, appeal to children and young people, and the substantiation of claims.
A foreign licence changes little here. An operator holding a licence from Malta or Curaçao is still advertising to Irish consumers, and the ASAI judges the ad on its content, not on the jurisdiction behind it.
ASAI complaint versus GRAI complaint
The two routes are set side by side below, based on what each body publishes about its own process. Where both suit an ad, the deciding factor is usually whether the operator holds a GRAI licence.
ASAI complaint | GRAI complaint |
|---|---|
| Judges ad content and targeting against its code | Judges breaches of commenced obligations under the Act |
| Any advertiser, licensed anywhere or not at all | Only operators on the GRAI register |
| Anonymous reporting available; formal complaint needs contact details | Name and contact details required |
| Advertiser has 10 days to respond once investigated | Licensee replies within a period the Authority sets |
| Can ask that an ad not appear again in its current form | Statutory regulator with powers under the Act |
| Free for members of the public | Free online form |
What happens after you file your report
Once the ASAI receives a complaint it checks whether the matter falls within its remit and whether an investigation is warranted. If it investigates, it notifies the advertiser or the agency involved, and according to Citizens Information the advertiser then has 10 days to respond. Anonymous reports are not formally investigated one by one; the ASAI says they feed its trend analysis and may lead to an investigation where enough concerns build up.
One complaint can be enough.
In August 2026 the ASAI’s Independent Complaints Council upheld a single objection to a Paddy Power bus advert that contrasted English supporters unfavourably with Japanese fans, ruling that it must not appear again in its current form. On the GRAI side, the procedure is set out in S.I. No. 170 of 2026, made under sections 9 and 181 of the Act. The Authority may dismiss a complaint as inadmissible, giving written reasons, or notify the licensee and ask for its observations within a period it specifies, and it may make further inquiries of either party before deciding.
Neither process pays compensation, so treat a report as a way to have an ad judged rather than a claim for redress.
Related Terms
Questions about reporting gambling ads in Ireland
Can I report a gambling ad anonymously in Ireland?
Yes. The ASAI offers an anonymous advertisement reporting option, but those reports go into its trend analysis rather than a formal case. A formal complaint needs your name and contact details.
Does the GRAI handle all gambling ad complaints?
No. The GRAI investigates alleged breaches of commenced obligations by operators on its register. Complaints about ad content generally go to the ASAI, and unlicensed operators go through the GRAI general enquiries form.
What evidence should a complaint include?
A screenshot or recording, the URL or location, the date and time you saw the ad, the advertiser’s name, and a clear explanation of which rule you believe it breaches.
Is the daytime gambling ad watershed in force?
Section 149 of the Act provides for it, but it needs a commencement order to take effect. Check the GRAI’s published list of commenced obligations before citing it in a complaint.
Can I complain about an ad from an offshore casino?
Yes, to the ASAI, which judges the content of ads aimed at Irish consumers. The GRAI cannot act under its complaints process against an operator that is not on its register.
Will I get compensation if my complaint is upheld?
No. An upheld ASAI complaint means the ad must not appear again in that form. Disputes about your own account or money go to the operator first, as the GRAI states.
More about online casinos
What we check first is the register, because a report about an unlicensed operator goes to the GRAI general enquiries form rather than its complaints form. Readers who skip that check often file in the wrong place, and the GRAI says it cannot investigate breaches before a licence was granted.