UK Gambling Commission Considers Banning Credit Card Deposits

This story was published more than 6 years ago.

This week the UK Gambling Commission is considering putting a plan in place that would make it impossible for punters to deposit to online casinos using credit cards.

The regulator said that it will "consider prohibiting or restricting the use of credit cards" to help protect punters, as using credit cards allows players to rack up a debt that they cannot possibly pay down. The announcement was made in a report expressing how it would attempt to make gambling safer for punters, as more than 9 million British citizens gamble.

In the report the UKGC wrote: "We will consider prohibiting or restricting the use of credit cards and the offering of credit but will explore the consequences of doing so. For example the danger of some consumers switching to more risky and higher cost payment methods such as payday loans."

Commission Chairman Neil McArthur spoke about the changes, noting: "The proposals we have announced today are intended to protect children better, reduce the risks to vulnerable consumers and build on the measures we already impose on operators to know their customers and intervene at an earlier stage before consumers experience harm."

No word on when a final decision would be offered for the potential ban on credit cards, but Casino Listings News will keep up on the story and update readers as we learn more.

About the author

Therese Williams // UK Correspondent
Therese Williams
Therese is a fervent fan of slot machines and pub fruities, often trying her luck at some of the top online casinos. She covers news for Casino Listings with a focus on the UK and Europe. Therese studied arts and creative writing at university and has written for newspapers in the UK.
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bgsharpe
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27 March 2018 - 6:05pm
#1

It's a good thing that UKGS realizing that this decision could lead to even worst and risking methods of depositing, but in general I think that banning of the credit cards could be a useful decision for a good part of the players.
In the end you should't be able to loose what you're not owing. Right?

auCL-Ed
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27 March 2018 - 10:45pm
#2

This would have a massive impact if implemented and I'd expect that it would put a lot of the smaller, less reputable operators out of business, which in many cases is probably not a bad thing.

I can't reconcile this quote though:

Quote:

The proposals we have announced today are intended to protect children better

WTH is he talking about there? Children are not permitted to gamble online, via credit card or any other means. Using that logic, it is the equivalent of trying to ban cash because kids can take it out of their parent's wallet and spend it at the shop down the road. I'm sure there are many other good reasons why they may want to ban credit in the gambling industry, but citing nonsensical things like that does them no favours.

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lvblck
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28 March 2018 - 10:39am
#3

If they would take Credit cards off as a payment option, there would probably be a lot of unhappy players and complications.

bgsharpe
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28 March 2018 - 3:41pm
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CL-Ed wrote:

I can't reconcile this quote though:

WTH is he talking about there? Children are not permitted to gamble online, via credit card or any other means. Using that logic, it is the equivalent of trying to ban cash because kids can take it out of their parent's wallet and spend it at the shop down the road. I'm sure there are many other good reasons why they may want to ban credit in the gambling industry, but citing nonsensical things like that does them no favours.

Yeah completely agree with you Ed, doesn't make sense at all, wonder how I've missed that reading the news.
Is it allowed at all anywhere in the world for the children owing a credit card,?
Not sure but I think I saw an advert of one of the local banks here promoting cards for kids, I'm not sure if it's was about debit or credit cards but maybe such thing exist after all.