UKGC Ban on Credit Card Deposits Proving to Be Popular

The ban on gambling with credit card deposits, which was implemented in the UK in January 2020, has proven to be popular amongst customers and has not led to any harmful unintended consequences, according to an interim evaluation by the UK Gambling Commission.

The ban was introduced by the UK Gambling Commission with the intention of adding another layer of protection for consumers who may be experiencing problem gambling issues.

The evaluation report was based on a survey of around two thousand people over the age of eighteen with the conclusion that the ban helps people gamble within their means and stay in control.

One particular concern was that some people would resort to borrowing money from illegal money lenders in an attempt to carry on gambling, but that does not seem to be the case.

The Gambling Commission survey also revealed that 76% of people who used to use credit cards to fund their gambling activity have not reverted to using other sources of borrowed money.

Protecting consumers is at the heart of everything we do, we introduced this policy as part of our multifaceted work to reduce gambling harm. The successful implementation of the ban across the industry and the impact on consumer behavior and financial spend we have monitored so far is an encouraging sign that the ban has reduced consumer reliance on gambling with borrowed money. We look forward to NatCen’s report on the long-term impacts of the ban and how this can inform our future policies.

Andrew RhodesInterim Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission