Why Free Spins Ads Are Disappearing From Irish Screens

Have you noticed lately that you’re getting fewer and fewer offers for free spins via email or on social media? It’s not just your imagination, it’s true! Gambling advertising in Ireland is set to undergo one of the biggest changes in recent decades. The measures have already been confirmed and are set to take effect in the near future. Let’s find out together what restrictions are already beginning to take shape.

What’s Behind Ireland’s New Gambling Ad Rules?

There are two measures underlying these restrictions. Television and radio advertisements will be permitted only between 9:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.; at all other times, they are completely prohibited.

The next measure targets intermediaries, specifically, the advertising networks and social media platforms through which operators reach you and other players. They will no longer be able to target gambling ads at social media users unless those users already have a casino account or follow the page. What does this mean? The large-scale social media campaigns through which casinos tried to attract new customers will disappear.

Both measures are provided for in Part IV of the 2024 Gambling Regulation Act. GRAI has stated that they have been finalized and are ready to be implemented. Now, most licensed operators are preparing for these changes.

Which Casino Ads Will Be Banned Under the New Rules?

You will no longer see ads for casino bonuses during the evening commercial breaks when you’re watching the game broadcast. The same restrictions will apply on social media to people who are not casino players.

But what will still be allowed? Ads targeted at existing customers. If you’re already registered with a casino and follow its social media page, then the operator can continue to send you emails and other messages.

Let’s say a casino is offering a €25 bonus in free spins. Well, the casino can email the offer to its 40.000 registered players on a Tuesday after 9:00 p.m. However, it won’t be able to display the same ad at 6:00 PM to an audience of 400.000 Instagram users who aren’t yet customers.

This is the difference you’ll most likely notice as well.

What’s Still Fair Game

You need to understand that the new rules do not completely ban gambling advertising. You’ll still see ads on TV and the radio, but only during the permitted time slots. The same goes for email and social media, provided you’re already registered with the casino.

General advertising isn’t subject to these restrictions either. That is, we’re talking about billboards and casino logos on sports team jerseys. These are also forms of advertising. What will truly disappear is advertising targeted at people who don’t gamble. So, if you don’t fall into that category, you might not even notice the change.

If you’ve been waiting for emails from casinos with good offers, now is the time to make a change. We’ve learned that GRAI is already analyzing how casinos promote their offers. The easiest way is to look for bonuses on your own. You can visit the casinos’ websites and see what they’re offering. And right here on our site, you’ll find plenty of bonuses to choose from.

Where to Go From Here

If you’d like to learn more about this topic, we recommend two other articles that perfectly complement the information we’ve provided above. You can read our analysis of the changes the GRAI regulations bring to licensing. That way, you’ll find out which bonus practices are now prohibited.

If you’d like to choose a casino now, compare the current offers directly on our dedicated bonuses page. That way, you can form your own opinion about the offers currently available, one that’s much more comprehensive than what a single social media post can provide.

Do you feel like gambling is starting to cause you problems? The GamblingCare.ie national helpline is available to offer you support for responsible gambling. If you’d prefer to speak with someone directly, call 1800.936.725 for a free, 24/7 service.

How We Verified This

We independently verified the rules regarding the time slots during which advertising is permitted. And while you might think we stopped there, we also checked the restrictions on ad targeting. We obtained all this information directly from the official text of the 2024 gambling regulation law. We also reviewed the comments made by the GRAI’s executive director.

Please keep in mind that this article is for informational purposes only. As you’ve probably noticed, the rules regarding gambling advertising in Ireland are constantly changing. So, before relying on the information presented here, it’s best to check directly with the GRAI to see if any changes have been made.