SolutionsHub has opened a Dublin office, announced on 3 December 2025, as Ireland moves closer to enforcing a modernised regulatory regime. For players and operators in Ireland, this timing matters: ireland gambling regulation is shifting from patchwork oversight to a single, risk-based framework with tougher standards on licensing, safer gambling, and data-driven compliance.
According to the report, the solutionshub dublin office will focus on regulatory and operational support ahead of enforcement. For readers at 101RTP, the practical point is simple: specialised compliance capacity is moving into Ireland just as the rulebook tightens — a trend that should lift baseline standards for software providers, payment partners, and consumer safeguards.
What is the solutionshub dublin office and why open now?
Short answer: it’s a localised expansion aimed at helping B2C operators and B2B suppliers meet Irish licensing, technical, and responsible gambling expectations as they come into force. The move aligns with a broader market shift to in-country compliance leadership and closer engagement with regulators and stakeholders.
SolutionsHub’s Dublin presence, as reported on 3 December 2025, foregrounds three needs we hear from operators: clearer interpretations of evolving rules, faster integration of compliance tooling (player verification, payments monitoring, data reporting), and readiness for audits when the new regime starts. Having people and processes on the ground typically reduces ambiguity and accelerates implementation, especially for cross-border groups servicing Ireland from the EU or UK.
For players, this is not just corporate news. Irish-facing casinos and game providers that implement controls locally — from identity checks to bonus transparency — typically deliver more reliable dispute resolution and clearer game information (including RTP). For the industry, the signal is that compliance, not just content and marketing, is the competitive axis for 2025–2026.
Summary: A Dublin base is a pragmatic way to operationalise compliance ahead of enforcement, with benefits for both operators’ risk management and players’ protection.
Definition: “Compliance operations” are the people, systems, and procedures used to meet legal obligations (e.g., AML, safer gambling, data, technical standards) and to evidence them.
Follow-ups:
- Does SolutionsHub target B2B or B2C? Likely both, with services spanning licensing, controls, and audit readiness for operators and suppliers.
- Will players notice immediate changes? Indirectly — through tighter checks, clearer messaging, and more consistent support.
- Is this limited to Dublin-only firms? No; the hub can support Irish-facing operators based in or outside Ireland.
When will ireland gambling regulation be enforced, and what will early phases cover?
Short answer: the Government has signalled a phased commencement beginning in 2025, led by a new national regulator. Early phases typically include setting up the authority, licensing categories, and priority protections such as advertising rules and safer gambling systems.
Ireland’s policy path is well-trailed: a single regulator, structured licences, and proportionate controls on marketing, payments, and data reporting. While exact commencement dates and sequencing will be confirmed by Government, operators should assume staged go-lives across 2025 and beyond — with operational deadlines for licensing, platform controls, and evidence logs.
Expect a risk-based approach to AML and CTF, mandatory age and identity verification, tighter advertising windows (especially around minors’ exposure), and formal reporting lines. Industry norms also include technical standards around game fairness, uptime, and transaction logging — areas where B2B platforms and payment gateways must align.
Summary: Plan for phased commencement from 2025, with licensing, safer gambling, and data/advertising controls likely leading the queue.
Definition: “Phased commencement” means different parts of an Act come into force at different times via Government commencement orders.
Follow-ups:
- Will legacy licences carry over? Expect transition arrangements; details to be confirmed by the regulator.
- Will there be grace periods? Usually, yes — but tied to clear milestones and evidence requirements.
- Do suppliers need licences? Many jurisdictions license both operators and key suppliers; expect Ireland to define this explicitly.
How could the irish gambling act 2025 affect operators’ day-to-day?
Short answer: expect more structured licensing, stricter customer due diligence, clearer advertising guardrails, expanded safer gambling duties, and routine data submissions — all backed by audit rights and potential sanctions for non-compliance.
Day-to-day changes will likely include risk-tiered KYC at registration, enhanced monitoring for at-risk behaviour, and hard stops when verification fails. Marketing teams will need granular controls over timing, channels, and audience segments. Finance and product teams should expect transaction monitoring parameters, source-of-funds triggers, and escrow-like segregation of player funds if mandated. Regulatory reporting will move from “on request” to periodic, automated submissions to the authority.
For platform teams, sandboxing and configuration governance become essential: you will need to prove that default settings are compliant (e.g., session limits, reality checks) and that changes are controlled, tested, and logged. For customer support, expect stricter complaint-handling SLAs and referral pathways to ADR or the regulator.
Summary: The Act will turn compliance into a product feature — embedded across onboarding, gameplay, payments, and communications.
Definition: “Audit rights” allow the regulator to inspect systems and records to verify compliance and investigate breaches.
Follow-ups:
- Will fines be introduced? Most modern regimes include administrative sanctions; details will come from the regulator.
- Will off-shore licences suffice? Irish licences are expected to be required for Irish-facing activity.
- Are free-to-play products affected? If they funnel to real-money play in Ireland, marketing and data rules may still apply.
What does “gambling compliance ireland” look like in practice for B2C and B2B?
Short answer: it’s a layered control stack — licensing scope, player verification, payment screening, AML/CTF risk management, technical standards, and responsible gambling tooling — all evidenced through governance, logs, and independent testing.
For B2C operators:
- Player verification: document checks, databases, sanctions/PEP screening.
- Payments: card and e-money monitoring, fraud and affordability signals, chargeback ratios.
- Safer play: mandatory limits, cooling-off, reality checks, intervention scripts, and robust self-exclusion integration.
For B2B suppliers:
- Certification: RNG and RTP testing, change-control, disaster recovery and uptime SLAs.
- Data: schema for event-level logging, secure retention, and regulator export formats.
- Interfaces: APIs for self-exclusion, age checks, and marketing consent sync.
Responsible gambling ireland priorities will centre on practical friction — meaningful session tools, real-time risk flags, and fast-acting exclusion pathways. The best deployments reduce harm while keeping journeys clear and user-friendly.
Summary: Compliance is no longer a back-office file; it is an always-on set of controls baked into the product and payments stack.
Definition: “PEP” stands for Politically Exposed Person — individuals requiring higher AML scrutiny due to their public roles.
Follow-ups:
- Do suppliers need Irish-specific certifications? Expect local recognition of international labs, with Irish addenda where required.
- How deep must affordability checks go? Proportionate to risk — precise thresholds will be set by the regulator.
- Are manual reviews still needed? Yes, for edge cases and escalations where automated rules are insufficient.
How is the regulatory rollout likely to sequence, and what should teams prepare first?
Short answer: expect a regulator-first sequence (governance and staffing), followed by licensing frameworks, then technical and safer-gambling standards. Teams should prepare evidence packs, data pipelines, and change-control before hard deadlines land.
The table below outlines practical milestones and why they matter. Dates will be confirmed by Government; use this as a preparation lens rather than a calendar.
| Milestone | Why it matters | Practical prep | Indicative window | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator stands up | Single point of oversight, guidance, and enforcement | Map responsibilities; appoint a Head of Compliance; establish Board oversight | 2025 | Gov.ie |
| Licensing categories published | Operators/suppliers know who must apply and how | Draft licence narratives; gap assessments; document controls | 2025 | Justice |
| Technical/safer gambling standards | Requirements for platforms, testing, and RG tooling | Implement KYC/RG APIs; build audit logs; ready change-control | 2025–2026 | Gov.ie |
| Reporting schema and portals | Data cadence and formats finalised | Build export jobs; QA data quality; assign reporting owners | 2025–2026 | Justice |
| Enforcement and audits | Sanctions and remediation expectations | Internal audits; playbooks for incidents; board reporting | Ongoing | Gov.ie |
Summary: Front-load governance, evidence, and data plumbing — they are the critical path for smooth licensing and early supervision.
Definition: “Evidence pack” is a curated set of policies, procedures, controls, and logs that proves compliance in an audit.
Follow-ups:
- Will testing labs be mandated? Typically yes for RNG, RTP, and security; details to follow.
- Can smaller operators comply without big teams? With the right tooling and clear delegation, yes — but planning is essential.
- Will there be public consultations? Modern regulators often consult on codes and standards; watch official channels.
What are the pros and cons of building compliance functions in Dublin?
Short answer: locating compliance in Dublin can improve regulatory alignment, talent access, and stakeholder trust — but adds cost, hiring pressure, and potential duplication across jurisdictions.
Before decisions, weigh operational uplift against cost and organisational complexity.
Pros of a Dublin compliance hub:
- Proximity to the regulator and policymakers improves guidance and response times.
- Access to Ireland’s tech and fintech talent pool, including AML, data, and security specialists.
- Stronger trust signals to banks, auditors, and partners serving Irish customers.
- Easier coordination with Irish-facing marketing and customer support teams.
- Time zone and legal alignment for EU data protections and reporting.
Cons and trade-offs:
- Higher fixed costs (office, salaries) versus remote or near-shore models.
- Hiring competition in Dublin’s tech sector.
- Risk of duplicating functions if the business spans multiple regulated markets.
- Need for robust governance to prevent “two standards” across jurisdictions.
Wrap-up: For many operators and suppliers, a Dublin base will be justified by regulatory and partner expectations; others may prefer a hybrid model with Irish leadership and distributed execution.
Follow-ups:
- Can SMEs start with a virtual presence? Yes, but appointing accountable Irish leadership is still advisable.
- Do banks require local compliance teams? Not formally, but local presence can speed onboarding and monitoring.
- Is outsourcing viable? Yes — if oversight and accountability remain in-house.
What are the key risks and compliance considerations to plan for?
Short answer: the biggest risks are underestimating lead times, weak evidence trails, fragmented data, and late integration of responsible-gambling tooling. Each can delay licensing or trigger supervisory findings.
Key Risks and Compliance Considerations:
- Evidence gaps: policies without logs or demonstrable outcomes (e.g., no heatmaps of RG interventions).
- Data fragmentation: KYC, payments, and gameplay in separate silos without reconciled reporting.
- Vendor oversight: no clear due diligence or monitoring of KYC, payments, and platform providers.
- Change-control drift: product features released without compliance sign-off or testing artefacts.
- Marketing misalignment: ad scheduling and targeting rules not embedded in media tools.
- Training lag: frontline teams unaware of new escalation thresholds or scripts.
- Incident response: no playbook for breaches, outages, or regulatory notifications.
- Governance: absent Board reporting on risk, remediation, and audit findings.
Wrap-up: Mitigate early with a compliance calendar, ownership map, and monthly internal audits. Make vendors prove controls before you rely on them.
Follow-ups:
- What’s a quick win? Centralise data exports now; align fields to likely reporting needs.
- How do we evidence RG? Keep timestamped logs of contacts, outcomes, and review decisions.
- What if a vendor slips? Maintain alternatives and clear exit clauses; document impact and remediation.
How should Irish-facing brands prepare over the next two quarters?
Short answer: treat compliance as a product. Lock in accountable leaders, align roadmaps, and build audit-ready data. Don’t wait for final guidance to fix known gaps.
A two-quarter plan:
- Appoint an accountable Head of Compliance with Board visibility.
- Map every control to a system and owner; eliminate overlaps and gaps.
- Prioritise player verification, payments monitoring, and self-exclusion integration.
- Build regulator-ready data exports (KYC, transactions, RG events).
- Run a mock audit and fix findings within 30 days.
- Coordinate with Irish banking partners on AML and chargeback controls.
- Communicate timelines and expectations to affiliates and media buyers — compliance extends to marketing.
Summary: Start with governance and data, then layer in tooling and training. By the time rules commence, your defaults should already be compliant.
Definition: “Mock audit” is a structured rehearsal against expected regulatory checks, producing actionable findings.
Follow-ups:
- Do we need Irish-specific T&Cs? Likely — ensure jurisdiction, dispute resolution, and RG disclosures are correct.
- How does this affect land-based? Expect consistent safer gambling principles, with sector-specific rules.
- Where can players find trusted reviews? See 101RTP for data-led analysis and our curated list of Irish-facing casinos.
Verdict
The solutionshub dublin office is a clear marker of where the Irish market is heading: compliance-first, data-led, and locally anchored. For operators and suppliers, 2025 is the year to harden controls, unify data, and evidence outcomes — not just intent. For players, this shift should translate into stronger protections, clearer information, and more consistent service. The winners will be those who make compliance a feature, not a footnote.
