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Stake confirms Ireland licence bid after GRAI GEO-block
Stake will seek an Irish GRAI licence after a GEO-block — Blask ranks it #16 in Ireland according to BAP.
Stake has GEO-blocked Irish customers after engagement with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI). This news lifted Blask Index, which was flagged in Blask’s weekly digest for 14–20 September 2026.
| A Stake spokesperson said the company “closed registrations in the Irish market” and “will look to apply for a licence to operate under the new regime”. Before this news, Stake had been working as an offshore operator in Ireland. |
The move fits Stake’s wider regulated push. This iGaming brand already works with local licenses in Colombia, Brazil, Italy, and Denmark.
Blask data shows the brand was already building Irish demand before the cut-off. From August 2025 to August 2026, Stake’s Blask Index in Ireland rose 33.3%. Over the same window its CEB climbed 28.5% in August 2026.
That growth has not bought shelf leadership. In August 2026 Stake held 0.78% BAP — 16th in Ireland — far behind onshore leading brands Paddy Power (28.8%), BoyleSports (22.7%), and Bet365 (12.8%).
Remote betting in Ireland already needed a licence; since 1 July 2026 that licence comes from GRAI, while earlier Revenue was responsible for licensing. Stake never held one — it served Ireland offshore until GRAI engagement forced a geo-block. The brand says it will apply; until a GRAI licence lands, Irish users stay locked out, even though Blask still records demand.
Revenue = Irish tax authority that used to issue betting licences. GRAI replaced it as the licensing body, while Revenue still collects betting duty.