The UK Gaming Authority has prohibited the use of credit cards for wagering, beginning today, April 14th. The regulatory body states the timing is ideal, as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to confinement measures.
The prohibition, which was declared in January by the Gaming Authority and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), signifies that UK residents can no longer utilize credit cards for any form of gambling.
This restriction applies to all online and offline gaming products, excluding non-remote lotteries, such as physical National Lottery tickets and scratch cards purchased in stores.
The new prohibition also encompasses credit card gambling through electronic wallets. The authority reminded operators that they can only accept customer payments through electronic wallets if they block credit cards from being used for wagering.
“This credit card ban will safeguard consumers from financial harm,” stated Neil McArthur, chief executive of the Gaming Authority. “From today, no one in the UK will be able to gamble using a credit card.”
This prohibition ultimately lessens the chance of customers being hurt by wagering with funds they do not possess.
The timing of this prohibition is ideal, as we have witnessed a rise in the use of online goods such as online slot machines and virtual sports, while our online search analytics reveal that UK consumers’ interest in betting products has grown since the lockdown commenced.
The choice to implement this prohibition came after the Commission’s examination of online gambling and the government’s review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures, with public discussion on the matter running from August to November 2019.
Jake Pollard, in an article published in iGB in March, examined the effect of the prohibition on the industry and problem gambling rates.
This is a new benchmark, and we will continue to investigate methods to make gambling safer.
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