Stake has blocked access to its platform for users in Ireland in response to actions taken by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). This move comes amid Ireland's recent overhaul of its online betting licensing system and the GRAI's intensified crackdown on illegal gambling operators. Reports suggest that this week, Stake has completely restricted Irish customers from its services.
While the GRAI has not disclosed the names of companies affected by its recent enforcement actions, The Irish Times indicated that Stake is among the operators involved. The agency confirmed that its actions led to two significant prediction markets and a major gambling platform becoming unavailable to users in Ireland. The GRAI continues to collaborate with these companies to ensure that players can recover their deposits.
The regulatory authority is focused on enforcing compliance among over 100 offshore gambling operators that lack licenses to operate in Ireland, in addition to unlicensed gambling activities occurring in pubs and illegal casinos.
This regulatory activity in Ireland mirrors recent access restrictions faced by Stake in Nigeria, where the platform has been barred from operating in over 24 states due to similar regulatory actions. These restrictions raise questions about Stake's operations in both regulated and emerging gambling markets.
