Protecting the safety of online gambling customers is at the heart of today's credit card online gambling ban. The regulator of the UK's gambling industry says the ban on credit cards which comes into effect today April 14),2020 will add another vital layer of protection for players.
In January, the Gambling Commission and the DCMS announced the widely publicized gambling ban – meaning that from today any customer online gambling will not be able to use any credit card as payment. The ban extends to credit card gambling through e-wallets like neteller also.
If anyone is worried about their or someone else’s gambling activity, The National Gambling Helpline provides confidential information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling problems in England, Scotland and Wales. For more information visit gamcare.org.uk or call 0808 8020 133.
The Commission said it is an important step forward in protecting the 10.5 million people who gamble online from harm – with statistics showing that 800,000 individuals in the UK use credit cards to gamble. Research also highlights that 22% of online gamblers using credit cards are problem gamblers, with even more suffering some form of gambling harm.
Neil McArthur, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “This credit card ban will further protect consumers from financial harm and from today, nobody in Great Britain can use a credit card to gamble. It is a ban which ultimately reduces the risks of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have.
“The ban also comes at a vital time as we are seeing an increase in the use of some online products, such as online slots and virtual sports, and our online search analysis shows an increase in UK consumer interest in gambling products since the lockdown began. This highlights just how important it is for gambling operators to keep people safe and the credit card ban will help that.
“This is another milestone and we will continue to look for ways to make gambling safer.”
The Commission also reminded operators that they can only accept customer payments via e-wallets if those e-wallets prevent credit card use for gambling.
Some players may be changing their gambling habits during the Covid-19 outbreak and the Commission has also taken steps in the past week to remind consumers of how gambling operators should be keeping them safe when gambling online.
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