Comment: Credit card ban "raises more questions than answers"

 

“The Government’s long-awaited credit card ban raises more questions than answers. Most importantly, will it actually work in the real world? There are so many payment options available to players, that banning credit cards may not have the desired effect and protect the people it is designed to protect. 

“Such is the nature of gambling addiction, a ban like this has some glaring loopholes. Anyone with a serious gambling problem, the kinds of people who are willing to fund gaming accounts with a credit card in the first place, are also going to be willing to use their credit card in conjunction with other permitted payment options to get around the ban. Players can just as easily fund a prepaid debit card with their credit card and use their debit card for gaming. The Government is attempting to close the gate long after the horse has bolted.  

“From an industry perspective, it will be relatively simple for gaming operators, payment companies or credit card operators to introduce new controls once the ban comes into force. This isn’t an issue of great technical or logistical complexity. As a wallet provider, we fully support the new rules and will be compliant. We will manage this requirement to ensure no credit card can be used by a UK gambler via MuchBetter. What remains the big open question is how general purpose prepaid cards are handling the new rules.