As of April 14^th, 2020, the UK banned people from using credit cards to place online bets, in an attempt to curb the problem of gambling, which has risen at an alarming rate since lockdowns have been put into place world – wide. At home, people don’t have much more to do – and since brick and mortar casinos have been shut down due to the Corona Virus pandemic, they have significantly turned to online gambling. This move has largely been applauded.

The ban, was initially first announced in January by the Gambling Commission and the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and extends to credit card gambling through e-wallets, as well as sources of online and offline betting.

The ban is applicable on all online and offline gambling products except for lotteries that are being run for good causes.

The commission said that tickets for these lotteries, as well as for the National Lottery, can be bought using credit cards in supermarkets and newsagents so long as they are purchased alongside other products.

As quoted, it said “disproportionate burden on retailers” to stop credit card payments if the tickets were part of a wider shop, but said lotteries actually had the lowest problem gambling rate!

Consumer protection

Neil McArthur, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, claimed that the ban is actually vital for consumer protection, and comes at a welcome time, during the pandemic that has taken the world by storm: “It’s 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.”

So truly, it is for the cause of the people. With unemployment rates already sky rocketing, it isn’t exactly advisable to be spending money you don’t actually have on a fun pastime. Under the ban, you will still be able to purchase ‘good cause’ lottery tickets with a credit card, as mentioned above, as long as bought alongside other items in a supermarket or other shop or newsagent.

What have been the responses to lockdown rise in online gambling?

Following the increase in online gambling during the coronavirus lockdown, the Commission has taken certain, vital steps to enhance and improve consumer protection, which include as follows:

• highlighting the facilities offered by all UK gambling sites that allow users to set a cap on exactly how much they can spend on that site.
• partnering with a massive platform like twitter to enable its users to limit the amount of gambling-related content that appears on their feed.
• reminding individuals that they can ask gambling operators to exclude them from using a site for a stated period. All licensed gambling sites in the UK must offer a service that offers precisely this – known as GAMSTOP, as of March 2020.
• increasing monitoring of unlicensed non-UK gambling sites trying to reach a UK audience, with action taken as necessary.