Meaning
Licensee and trading name
The licensee is the company that holds the GRAI licence. A trading name is a brand that company uses, and it can differ from the company's own name. The name on an app or a store listing is the brand or its developer, while the register entry carries the licensee, licence number and type. You match the two by licence number.
Editorial team · checked
Two names on one licence
- Licensee: the legal entity that holds the licence. It is the party GRAI licenses and supervises.
- Trading name: a brand or business name the licensee uses with customers. The register shows these in a Trading Names tab.
- App name: the name you see on the home screen. It follows the trading name, not the licensee.
- Developer name: the name in the store listing. It may be the licensee, a group company or another party. We compare it with the register on the licensee pages.
In short: the brand you tap is not always the company that holds the licence.
What a GRAI register entry shows
Per our research notes of 6 November 2026, an entry carries these fields:
- Licence Number: the format is GRAI-NNNN-RB-26-NNNN.
- Licence type (Licence Activity): RB is remote betting, RBI is remote betting intermediary, IPB is in-person betting.
- Issue Date and Expiry Date: the licence term is three years.
- Trading Names, Domain Names and Premises: Domain Names was empty on all 40 business-to-consumer entries read.
Because domain names are empty, you confirm a site or app by the licence number it shows. A licensee must show its licence number on each online platform (s.110(1)(a)(ii), in force since 5 February 2026).
In short: match the number on the operator's site to the number on the register.
Examples from the register snapshot
| Trading names on the entry | Licensee | Licence number | Re-checked on the register |
|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 | Hillside (Europe) ENC | GRAI-0539-RB-26-0001 | Not checked |
| Betfair, Paddy Power | PPB Counterparty Services Limited | GRAI-1003-RB-26-0001 | Not checked |
| BetVictor, talkSPORT BET | BV Gaming Limited | GRAI-0862-RB-26-0001 | Not checked |
| William Hill | WH Ireland Limited | GRAI-1096-RB-26-0001 | Not checked |
Two rows show one licensee with two trading names. The register is updated at GRAI's pace, so open it on the day you check. A match here is not a licence check: no entry is shown as "Licence active on [date]" until we have looked.
In short: one licensee can stand behind several brands.
Why the difference matters to you
- Checking: search the register by licensee and by trading name. A brand may not appear as the licensee.
- Ownership: a brand with an Irish feel may have a licensee in another country. Our notes list BoyleSports under Boylesports (Gibraltar) Limited. See Irish-owned and Irish-licensed.
- Terms: look for the licensee named in the operator's terms, because that is the company GRAI licenses.
In short: the terms and the licence name the licensee, not the logo.
How we checked
The fields and the examples come from our research notes on the register, not from a fresh visit on 7 November 2026. The s.110 wording is as summarised in those notes. Re-checking is Not checked.
What changed: 7 November 2026, first version.
In short: definitions are firm, example rows are dated and unconfirmed.
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