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by Glenn Baird - December 11, 2018
The UK based bank, Barclays, have launched a new feature that will allow problem gamblers to block payments made to certain outlets.
The bank actually has 5 categories that their customers can “turn off” any attempted payments to. On the list are, groceries, restaurants, petrol, premium rate websites and phone lines, and gambling websites.
The new initiative has been put in place to allow consumers with certain addictions to better manage them. The three main targets appear to be problem gamblers, drinkers and anyone looking to curtail spending and address increasing debt. There are options to block pubs, bars, nightclubs, betting shops, casinos, along with online outlets.
The feature is currently limited to Barclays’ debit cards but will soon be rolled out to credit cards too.
Chief executive of GambleAware, Marc Etches said: “GambleAware welcomes this initiative by Barclays, which we hope will encourage other banks to do the same. There are 340,000 problem gamblers in Britain and a further 1.7 million at risk, and initiatives like this can play an important role in helping to reduce gambling-related harms.”
With the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, Jeremy Wright saying that: “Using technology for good must be a priority for all businesses. I support this move from Barclays that can help people protect themselves from the risk of gambling-related harm. This is an area where both industry and government have important roles to play. I urge others in the banking sector to follow suit.”
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland sits to the north-west of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom shares a border with The Republic of Ireland and has coasts on the Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea and English Channel. The population of the UK is approaching the 67.6 million mark leading to a fairly densely populated land mass. The gambling sector in the United Kingdom is entirely regulated and licensed by the UKGC – the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Should players resident In the UK wish to gamble with foreign based operators there is no history of this being treated as a criminal offence, but high levels of protection exist for UK residents playing with UK licensed operators.
Disclaimer:
The above information is what we believe to be the the legal status of online gambling, however information on this topic is limited and hard to find. We accept no liability for any errors or ommissions. It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure that they know the legality of online gambling in their country before engaging with any online gambling service.