Ireland’s Regulator Signs First U.S. Gaming Pact With Nevada
The non-binding deal is meant to support cross-border oversight as Ireland rolls out its new gambling regime.
Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nevada Gaming Control Board to cooperate on gambling-regulatory matters. GRAI expects it to be the first step toward broader cooperation with U.S. regulators, as Ireland continues building out oversight of its online and remote betting market.
The agreement is meant to help the two agencies oversee cross-border wagering and online gaming activity. The document says it is a statement of intent, not a legally binding contract, and that no personal data, third-party information or commercially sensitive information will be shared at this stage.
Any future sharing of that kind would need a separate information-sharing agreement. The MoU also says the regulators can communicate regularly on issues with major implications for the other side, will review the arrangement every two years, and can end it with 30 days’ written notice.
The deal sits inside a bigger reset of Ireland’s gambling rulebook. GRAI was established in March 2025 under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, and the MoU says its functions include licensing, supervising and controlling gambling activities in Ireland, maintaining a register of licence holders and a National Gambling Exclusion Register, and entering information-sharing arrangements with similar bodies outside the State.
Ireland has already started putting that framework into action. Earlier reporting said GRAI began accepting online gaming licence applications in February, and that any operator providing remote gaming services in Ireland must be licensed since 1 January 2026. GamingAmerica also reported that, after a commencement order activated key parts of the Act, GRAI can issue licences, impose fines and order illegal operators to stop.
The Nevada side brings a long-running regulatory model. The MoU says the Nevada board was created by the state legislature in 1955 to protect the stability and integrity of the gaming industry, keep gaming honest and competitive, and oversee reporting and collection of gaming taxes and fees.
GRAI chief executive Anne Marie Caulfield said Nevada’s knowledge and expertise are very valuable and welcomed its insight, guidance and experience, with consumer protection and public health and safety at the centre of operations. Mike Dreitzer said the board was pleased to sign the MOU and looked forward to sharing best practices and advancing collaboration.
