Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), marking its first cooperation agreement with a U.S. gambling regulator as Ireland begins licensing online and remote betting operators.
The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the newly established Irish regulator and the Nevada board, one of the world’s longest-standing gaming regulators.
The GRAI said the memorandum marks the first step in collaboration between Irish and U.S. gambling authorities and comes as Ireland has begun licensing online and remote betting services. Ireland’s new gambling licensing regime opened for applications in February.
The two regulators said the agreement reflects the growing need for cooperation in overseeing online gambling platforms, where betting activity increasingly takes place across national borders.
“The knowledge and expertise that the Nevada Gaming Control Board has in terms of gambling regulation are very valuable to us in the GRAI,” Anne Marie Caulfield, Chief Executive of the GRAI, said.
“We very much welcome the insight, guidance, and experience that the NGCB can provide to the GRAI as a newly established regulator, and I look forward to our continued partnership with the shared goal of consumer protection and public health and safety at the heart of operations,” she added.
Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer said the board looked forward to sharing regulatory best practices under the agreement.
“We are pleased to sign an MOU with the GRAI and look forward to sharing best practices with them and advancing our collaboration,” Dreitzer said.
GRAI pressure leads Polymarket to geoblock Ireland
Earlier this month, GRAI’s pressure prompted Polymarket to geoblock the country, adding Ireland to a restricted list of 37 jurisdictions and making it the second large-scale prediction market to take this step.
The GRAI has threatened High Court action to regulate prediction markets operating without a license in Ireland. Since July 1, 2026, any remote betting service operator has been required to hold a GRAI license to do business in the country.
“Controls have been implemented to prevent the creation of new accounts by users located in Ireland, and accounts identified as located in Ireland are currently restricted from depositing funds or opening new positions,” a spokesperson for the regulator told the Irish Examiner.