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Ireland's Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRAI) has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. It is the fourth such agreement the GRAI has put in place since coming into operation in March 2025. The agreement sets out a cooperative framework that covers all aspects of gambling regulation. Alderney's regulator is expected to provide guidance as the GRAI moves into its first licensing phase.

A Ladbrokes spokesperson claimed that: “These planned closures in the Republic of Ireland are not a decision we take lightly and reflect sustained cost pressures, long‑term changes in customer behaviour and the growing competitive threat from the unlicensed market.” This would suggest that the company is facing financial pressure as bettors shift away from in-person gambling.

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Both advertisements were launched on YouTube, with the first depicting a man using his phone on the toilet and the words: “Only 3% of people can do this. Make money while sitting on the toilet.” The ASA maintained that the advertisement made gambling seem easy and downplayed risks.

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The world football governing body FIFA has announced a partnership which will see World Cup matches streamed live on betting websites for the first time. The organisation has announced a partnership with Stats Perform, the data firm behind Opta, which has become the first official betting data and betting streaming rights distributor ahead of this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced that its Chief Executive, Andrew Rhodes, will step down from his role at the end of April. He will take up a new position, which the commission will announce in due course. Rhodes has held the position for five years, and his work includes leading the work to implement the Gambling Act Review, which included the introduction of financial vulnerability checks and reducing the intensity of online games.

An order was signed by Jim O’Callaghan TD, the Minister of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration last week, which came into effect on Monday, 9 February. This move is the latest in a series of steps which will see the GRAI slowly come into full operation by next year. Three types of licences will be available, covering B2C, B2B and charity gambling activities, and applicants will use a centralised system which the regulatory body will carefully examine before granting a licence.

A key figure at the UK Gambling Commission has launched a scathing attack on Meta, accusing the social media giant of ‘turning a blind eye’ to adverts promoting illegal firms. Tim Miller, an executive director at the independent regulatory body, said that advertisements for illegal casino companies had become commonplace on Meta’s platforms, indicating that it was happy to continue taking money from criminals.

After a recent academic study, the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) has been accused of paying limited attention to minors who engage in buying lottery tickets. The study looked at reports from the Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) between 2014-2024, and claimed that the National Lottery has marketed itself as more entertainment rather than a gambling product.