UK Gambling Commission Ban Credit Card Payments At Casinos?

UK Gambling Commission Ban Credit Card Payments At Casinos?

The UK Gambling Commission is reportedly considering banning the use of credit card payments at online casinos and gambling sites as the country continues its clamp down on unethical gaming practices, but will the UK Gambling Commission ban credit cards?

In a recent review published by the UKGC, it was confirmed that the number of online gamblers has risen from 3.7% of the nation’s population at the end of the year in 2014 to 5.6% as of December 2017 – with the regulatory body apparently concerned about the number of those betting on credit.

As such, the UKGC is now looking into the possibility of restricting credit card deposits at online and mobile casinos and other web-based gambling portals, as it is thought that having this service available will increase the number of players who are readily spending money they can’t actually afford to lose.

The main hurdle for the UKGC implementing such plans will clearly be players’ ability to withdraw money from cash machines using their credit card before then finding an alternate means to get that money into their account. Although this makes the process slightly more labour-intensive, many online sites that are affiliated with high street betting shops allow players to deposit money in their account via over-the-counter payment, while more still allow the use of pre-pay online casino cards.

Naturally this makes it very difficult for the UKGC to completely restrict the flow of credit-based cash to online betting accounts, but for those wishing to avoid the unnecessary step of depositing through a third party, direct debit card transactions are clearly the most efficient method at present.

With most of the bigger online gambling sites accepting the majority of major debit cards as well as the big eWallet providers like Neteller, Skrill and PayPal, casino players will always find a way to fund their accounts – though it should also be noted that several operators recently restricted the use of eWallet providers by preventing deposits made by them from counting towards any bonus earnings.

Although nothing being considered is currently set in stone, this is definitely a development that is worth keeping an eye on; as although it will certainly go some way to protecting the most vulnerable problem gamblers, if the Gambling Commission ban credit card payments it could also make life more difficult for regular customers.

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