Verify your casino account in Ireland
This guide explains what an online gambling operator can ask you to prove before it opens your account or pays out, and which documents satisfy the rules that apply in Ireland. It is written for players who have been asked for ID, proof of address or source of funds and want to know why, and for anyone who would rather have the paperwork ready before the first withdrawal. We checked the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, the GRAI’s own notices and the anti-money-laundering guidance, and we separate what is in force from what is still to come.
What the law requires at account opening
The rule for Irish players sits in section 169 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which says a holder of a remote gambling licence shall not open a gambling account until it has verified both your identity and that you are at least 18. Under section 169(4), that verification is met by a photo document showing your name, address and date of birth, or by a photo document with name and date of birth together with two relevant documents confirming your address.
Section 169(7) defines a relevant document as one issued within the previous 6 months: a utility bill, an insurance policy, or a document from the Revenue Commissioners or a Department of State.
Section 169(5) lets the GRAI prescribe additional means, and it has done so in S.I. No. 315 of 2026, the Verification of Identity and Age Regulations, made on 6 July 2026. That instrument adds a third route, covered in the comparison further down this page.
Who these duties bind today
Here the reader needs care, because the section binds GRAI licensees and the GRAI has so far licensed only remote betting, with those licences commencing on 1 July 2026, while its own guidance states that casino games and slot machines will be licensed later, with gaming applications to be opened during 2027 and 2028. Until gaming licences take effect, an online casino taking Irish players holds whatever licence it holds abroad, and its verification rules come from that regulator and from anti-money-laundering law rather than from section 169.
A foreign licence does not give you the GRAI’s complaints route.
Verifying your account step by step
The order below follows the documents the 2024 Act and S.I. No. 315 of 2026 name, and it works for most operators whatever licence they hold.
- Step 1
Check who issued the licence
Before uploading anything, find the licence number in the site footer and look it up on the issuing regulator's public register. For betting, the GRAI is the issuer; for casino games, until gaming licences commence, it will be a foreign regulator. - Step 2
Prepare a valid photo ID
Use a passport or driving licence that is in date and shows your name and date of birth clearly. A photo card that also carries your address can satisfy section 169(4) on its own. - Step 3
Gather recent proof of address
Have two documents issued within the last six months, such as a utility bill, an insurance policy or a Revenue letter. Under the 2026 Regulations, one such document plus a bank or credit union statement also works. - Step 4
Upload clear, complete scans
Send full pages with all four corners visible and no cropping or editing. Make sure the name and address match your account details exactly, because a mismatch is the most common reason a submission is rejected. - Step 5
Keep source-of-funds papers ready
Larger deposits or withdrawals can trigger anti-money-laundering checks. Payslips, bank statements or a record of a property sale or inheritance are the documents operators typically request at that stage.
Withdrawal checks and source of funds
Identity checks at sign-up are only half the picture, since many players first meet KYC when they try to withdraw. That second layer comes from the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, which treats gambling service providers as designated persons.
The Department of Justice’s guidance for designated persons states that, for gambling service providers, the risk assessment applies to customers and transactions of at least €2,000, whether in one payment or a series that appears linked. Stakes or payouts at that level must not proceed until customer due diligence is complete. Operators can also run checks below that figure on a risk basis, so reaching it is not the only trigger.
This is where source-of-funds requests come from.
An operator asking how you can afford your deposits is meeting a legal duty, not stalling, although a request that keeps changing after you have supplied what was asked is a different matter and worth a written complaint. The 2024 Act also bans credit cards as a payment method for gambling, a provision commenced by the order that took effect on 5 February 2026, so a card refused at the cashier is the rule working rather than a fault in your account.
Two routes to proving your address
Section 169(4) of the Act and S.I. No. 315 of 2026 set out different paths for players whose photo ID carries no address. We compared the two below, using the wording of the Act and the Regulations.
Section 169(4) route | S.I. 315 of 2026 route |
|---|---|
| Photo ID with name and date of birth | Photo ID with name and date of birth |
| Two relevant address documents | One relevant address document |
| No bank statement needed | Bank, building society or credit union statement |
| Documents issued within six months | Documents issued within six months |
| Utility, insurance, Revenue or State papers only | Suits players without two household bills |
When verification goes wrong
Most rejected submissions come down to a blurred image, an expired document or an address that does not match the one on the account. Correct the account details through support first, then resubmit, and keep copies of everything you send along with the dates.
If a GRAI licensee withholds a payout or will not close your account, the Act gives you somewhere to go. The commencement order effective 5 February 2026 brought in the GRAI’s complaints functions, along with obligations on licensees concerning account closure and refunds of money held, and the Irish Times reported on 4 November 2026 that many early complaints to the authority’s consumer protection division concern difficulty getting money from online bookies.
A casino holding only a foreign licence is a different case.
Your route there is the operator’s own complaints process and then whatever dispute service its foreign regulator requires, and that regulator’s priorities are set for its home market rather than for Irish players. Until gaming licences commence in Ireland, that gap remains for casino play, and it is the main reason to confirm the licence before you hand over a passport scan.
Related Terms
Casino account verification in Ireland: common questions
What age do I need to be to open an account?
Eighteen. Section 169 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 bars a GRAI licensee from opening an account until it has verified both your identity and that you have reached 18.
Which documents count as proof of address?
Under section 169(7), a utility bill, insurance policy, or a document from the Revenue Commissioners or a Department of State, issued within the previous six months.
Can I use a bank statement instead of a second bill?
Yes, with a GRAI licensee. S.I. No. 315 of 2026 accepts photo ID, one relevant address document and a bank, building society or credit union statement from the last six months.
Why was I asked for source of funds?
Anti-money-laundering rules require customer due diligence on gambling transactions of €2,000 or more, single or linked, and operators may also check lower amounts on a risk basis.
Does the GRAI license online casinos yet?
Not yet. Its licences so far cover remote betting, commencing 1 July 2026, and its guidance says casino games and slots will be licensed later, with applications opening during 2027 and 2028.
Can I deposit with a credit card?
No, not with a GRAI licensee. The Act prohibits credit cards as a means of payment for gambling, and that provision came into force on 5 February 2026.
More about online casinos
What we check first is step one, because every other step depends on it. Sending a passport scan to a site whose licence you cannot find on any register is a privacy risk, and if a payout dispute follows, nobody with powers over that operator will hear your complaint.