Stake blocks access in Ireland after reported consultation with regulator

Players in Ireland trying to visit Stake are now being turned away. Access has been geo-blocked, with users seeing the message: “Due to licensing restrictions, access to Stake from your current location is not available.”

The move follows reported consultation with the Gambling Regulatory Authority for Ireland (GRAI), as Ireland transitions into a new regulatory era. The GRAI’s new licensing system was implemented two months ago, and the authority has taken over responsibility for the gambling sector from Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners, with a stated focus on integrity and player protection.

The GRAI has said that “operators, including two major prediction markets and a major international online gambling platform, have geo-blocked their services,” meaning they voluntarily restricted access for users in Ireland. The regulator did not name the three platforms, but Stake has often described itself as “the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook,” and Irish coverage has previously said prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket have geo-blocked access for Irish users in recent months.

Alongside the access block, the GRAI said it is working with operators that have geo-blocked “to ensure that consumers in Ireland are promptly refunded all monies deposited with these operators.”

Stake has used similar measures elsewhere. After its licence was removed in the UK in March 2025, it implemented strict geo-fencing for UK users. Stake has also been involved with regulators in other jurisdictions recently: the Curaçao-licensed operator was called out by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) and banned from all 24 states within the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN) last week.

In the UK, Stake remains in the spotlight through its affiliation with Everton FC. With the Premier League’s front-of-shirt ban in place this season, the bookmaker shifted from front-of-shirt sponsorship to the kit’s sleeve, but its ongoing Premier League presence has prompted Entain to write to Everton urging the club to cut ties. Stake is described as one of seven unlicensed operators with a presence in the Premier League, though its strict geo-fencing has been cited as making it harder to access than some rivals.

In an update, a Stake spokesperson said: “Stake closed registrations in the Irish market, and we will look to apply for a licence to operate under the new regime.”