When it comes to responsible gambling there are tons of measures out there to help keep you safe and limit your spending. We have a whole series of responsible gambling guides that can help you make the right decisions, including how to keep track of time and how to limit spending. One option comes straight from your bank - gambling transaction blocks.
These controls can block any gambling transactions at the source, stopping you from being able to deposit and play at online casinos or even make bets at the bookies. These are particularly useful for those who struggle to limit their spending and time gambling. UK gambling charity GambleAware says these bank blockers need to be standardised to help vulnerable people to gamble responsibly.
Different banking groups have differing options available and it can be difficult to know exactly what is available to you, so we have created this rundown of all the UK's top banks and what gambling block options they provide to help you gamble responsibly.
Do remember, however, that GamStop is mandatory for all UK licensed online casinos in the UK, so that is still the most effective option for taking a break from gambling.
The gambling block feature in the NatWest app allows you to lock your card using your mobile app so that it can't be used on gambling websites. Enter your UK or international mobile number below and we'll send you a link for the NatWest app. Not sure about posting links,but google gamblock and net safe,i have used gamblock myself and it blocks all forms of online gambling,closes windows down if you click or navagate to anything gambling related,worked well for me for many months cost 50 usd,only downside was i inadvertantly circumnavigated it and blew quite a bit,but upto that point worked a treat!! NatWest has introduced a gambling block feature on debit cards, giving customers who may suffer harm a 48-hour cooling-off period before they can make payments. The feature aims to help customers with gambling addictions to take control of their spending.
The FINANCIAL - Last year, NatWest introduced a unique partnership with gambling charity GamCare to provide support, advice and treatment for gamblers and their loved ones experiencing harm. Underlining its commitment to social responsibility and customer care, NatWest has introduced a 48-hour delay gambling block on debit cards. The firm's latest initiative, which can be utilised to halt both physical and virtual debit cards, comes off the back of the introduction of a unique partnership with GamCare to provide support, advice and treatment for gamblers and their loved ones.
Barclays Gambling Controls
Barclays is one of the biggest name brand banks in the UK, and when it comes to gambling controls they don't disappoint. Not only do they have the option to set spending limits, helping you budget throughout the month, there are also transaction blocks available. These can be set to a certain merchant type, such as gambling. Once this block is in place the customer's transaction will be declined straight away.
After listening to customer feedback, Barclays introduced a 72 hour gambling transaction block. The delay is said to give customers time to consider their reasons for gambling, the affordability of gambling, and gives time for any potential ‘urge' to gamble to pass.
Halifax Gambling Controls
Halifax, another major high street bank, is one of the best for gambling transaction block options. As a part of the Lloyds Banking Group, Halifax customers can access 3 months free Gamban coverage, a tool which blocks all online casinos and betting sites from installed devices.
Through the mobile app, customers can also apply a gambling block to their card. This is automatically applied and blocks transactions with gambling merchants. Once you have decided to disable the gambling block it will still be active for another 48 hours, as a ‘buffer' that allows the customer to consider their reasons for gambling and adds another layer of friction between the player and gambling.
Activating the gambling block is simple through the app, simply head to ‘More,' ‘Card Management,' ‘Card Freeze' and then ‘Freeze Gambling.' As easy as 1, 2, 3.. 4.
HSBC Gambling Controls
HSBC offers a service called a ‘cooling off period,' which allows customers to block gambling transactions, just like Halifax and Barclays offer. This block takes 24 hours to be disabled, acting as a barrier against the urge to return to gambling and allowing the customer extra time to think about the affordability of and the responsibility of their gambling.
The block can be activated online, via the app, by phone, and in branch. HSBC is one of the banks with the widest range of methods of activating the block, which is helpful for those who do not feel comfortable or able to operate online or mobile banking.
Lloyds Gambling Controls
Just as with Halifax, Lloyds customers can claim 3 months free of the Gamban service, to help block gambling transactions across all installed devices. Casinos in reno nv open. After this, the customer would be required to pay for the subscription should they wish to carry on using the Gamban service.
Lloyds also offer a gambling block, which can be activated via the mobile and tablet application. The block is applied instantly and, once disabled, takes 2-3 days to be removed.
Metro Bank Gambling Controls
As far as we can see, Metro bank does not currently offer any gambling management controls. As one of the fastest growing UK banks, it's disappointing to see Metro Bank not provide its customers with the tools to limit their gambling by preventing them to spend any money with gambling operators.
Nationwide Gambling Controls
While Nationwide Flexone account holders will probably notice their card is automatically fitted with a gambling block, as minors as young as 11 can hold this account, this block can be removed by speaking to someone in branch and verifying your age.
There are currently no gambling block options available for other account holders with Nationwide, which is disappointing to see from such a major banking group in the UK.
Natwest Gambling Controls
Natwest advertises a gambling block that can be applied to its credit cards, though these are no longer accepted at UK licensed casinos. So far, they have not extended its gambling block to debit cards, so there is no gambling control offered by Natwest at the moment.
Santander Gambling Controls
Santander does not offer any cooling off periods but it does offer a gambling block control which is activated through the application by heading to ‘Cards,' and then ‘Freeze and Manage Cards.' This block, whilst helpful, is unfortunately fully disabled as soon as the customer unfreezes gambling transactions. This lack of a cooling off period means that this tool is less effective in preventing overspending when gambling, as the user can simply turn off the block whenever the urge to gamble strikes.
What are the challenger banks doing better?
All the above gambling controls are those offered by high street banks, the banks you will find branches of all across the country. Online banks, like Monzo and Starling, provide more in depth controls over your spending that can be controlled by the respective apps. We've gone into details about these responsible gambling tools in our Monzo gambling controls and our Starling gambling controls guides.
One of the major retail and commercial banks in the UK, National Westminster Bank (NatWest), unveiled a gambling ban option on the use of debit cards that would provide the bank's customers who may be problem gamblers with a 'cooling-off' period of 48 hours before they are able to make such payments again.
The new feature is part of the bank's efforts to help customers who could suffer from gambling addictions to better control their spending on gambling services.
As mentioned above, NatWest customers will be forced to wait 48 hours before they are allowed to make gambling-related payments, with all attempted transactions during that time set to be rejected automatically. The debit card will remain blocked unless a customer decides to end the ban, which would be allowed to be disabled after 48 hours.
As revealed by NatWest, the bank's customers are able to access the gambling-related feature in their mobile banking application via the 'manage my card' menu. A representative of the bank explained that the introduction of the debit card ban for gambling transactions will help problem gamblers in the UK to control their gambling habits.
In 2019, NatWest, which is currently among the leading banks in the country, joined forces with the local gambling charity organisation GamCare to provide advice, support and treatment for problem gamblers and their families experiencing gambling-related harm.
NatWest Joined Forces with GamCare to Enhance Protection against Gambling-Related Harm
As part of the collaboration between GamCare and NatWest, the bank's support teams were provided with special training on how to recognise gambling-related harm and support people who describe themselves as problem gamblers and want to stop gambling.
Before the UK Government imposed the coronavirus restrictions, a number of the bank's branches across the country were used by GamCare for the provision of private consultations as part of the gambling addicts support program.
As revealed by the bank, there was a decline in gambling transactions during the lockdown period earlier this year. However, NatWest revealed that with the restrictions eased across the country, a rapid increase has been registered in the number of gambling-related transactions of its customers.
Natwest Block Gambling Money
The overall gambling-related spending registered in September 2020 is about 32% higher in comparison to the one in 2019.
Barclays Gambling Controls
Barclays is one of the biggest name brand banks in the UK, and when it comes to gambling controls they don't disappoint. Not only do they have the option to set spending limits, helping you budget throughout the month, there are also transaction blocks available. These can be set to a certain merchant type, such as gambling. Once this block is in place the customer's transaction will be declined straight away.
After listening to customer feedback, Barclays introduced a 72 hour gambling transaction block. The delay is said to give customers time to consider their reasons for gambling, the affordability of gambling, and gives time for any potential ‘urge' to gamble to pass.
Halifax Gambling Controls
Halifax, another major high street bank, is one of the best for gambling transaction block options. As a part of the Lloyds Banking Group, Halifax customers can access 3 months free Gamban coverage, a tool which blocks all online casinos and betting sites from installed devices.
Through the mobile app, customers can also apply a gambling block to their card. This is automatically applied and blocks transactions with gambling merchants. Once you have decided to disable the gambling block it will still be active for another 48 hours, as a ‘buffer' that allows the customer to consider their reasons for gambling and adds another layer of friction between the player and gambling.
Activating the gambling block is simple through the app, simply head to ‘More,' ‘Card Management,' ‘Card Freeze' and then ‘Freeze Gambling.' As easy as 1, 2, 3.. 4.
HSBC Gambling Controls
HSBC offers a service called a ‘cooling off period,' which allows customers to block gambling transactions, just like Halifax and Barclays offer. This block takes 24 hours to be disabled, acting as a barrier against the urge to return to gambling and allowing the customer extra time to think about the affordability of and the responsibility of their gambling.
The block can be activated online, via the app, by phone, and in branch. HSBC is one of the banks with the widest range of methods of activating the block, which is helpful for those who do not feel comfortable or able to operate online or mobile banking.
Lloyds Gambling Controls
Just as with Halifax, Lloyds customers can claim 3 months free of the Gamban service, to help block gambling transactions across all installed devices. Casinos in reno nv open. After this, the customer would be required to pay for the subscription should they wish to carry on using the Gamban service.
Lloyds also offer a gambling block, which can be activated via the mobile and tablet application. The block is applied instantly and, once disabled, takes 2-3 days to be removed.
Metro Bank Gambling Controls
As far as we can see, Metro bank does not currently offer any gambling management controls. As one of the fastest growing UK banks, it's disappointing to see Metro Bank not provide its customers with the tools to limit their gambling by preventing them to spend any money with gambling operators.
Nationwide Gambling Controls
While Nationwide Flexone account holders will probably notice their card is automatically fitted with a gambling block, as minors as young as 11 can hold this account, this block can be removed by speaking to someone in branch and verifying your age.
There are currently no gambling block options available for other account holders with Nationwide, which is disappointing to see from such a major banking group in the UK.
Natwest Gambling Controls
Natwest advertises a gambling block that can be applied to its credit cards, though these are no longer accepted at UK licensed casinos. So far, they have not extended its gambling block to debit cards, so there is no gambling control offered by Natwest at the moment.
Santander Gambling Controls
Santander does not offer any cooling off periods but it does offer a gambling block control which is activated through the application by heading to ‘Cards,' and then ‘Freeze and Manage Cards.' This block, whilst helpful, is unfortunately fully disabled as soon as the customer unfreezes gambling transactions. This lack of a cooling off period means that this tool is less effective in preventing overspending when gambling, as the user can simply turn off the block whenever the urge to gamble strikes.
What are the challenger banks doing better?
All the above gambling controls are those offered by high street banks, the banks you will find branches of all across the country. Online banks, like Monzo and Starling, provide more in depth controls over your spending that can be controlled by the respective apps. We've gone into details about these responsible gambling tools in our Monzo gambling controls and our Starling gambling controls guides.
One of the major retail and commercial banks in the UK, National Westminster Bank (NatWest), unveiled a gambling ban option on the use of debit cards that would provide the bank's customers who may be problem gamblers with a 'cooling-off' period of 48 hours before they are able to make such payments again.
The new feature is part of the bank's efforts to help customers who could suffer from gambling addictions to better control their spending on gambling services.
As mentioned above, NatWest customers will be forced to wait 48 hours before they are allowed to make gambling-related payments, with all attempted transactions during that time set to be rejected automatically. The debit card will remain blocked unless a customer decides to end the ban, which would be allowed to be disabled after 48 hours.
As revealed by NatWest, the bank's customers are able to access the gambling-related feature in their mobile banking application via the 'manage my card' menu. A representative of the bank explained that the introduction of the debit card ban for gambling transactions will help problem gamblers in the UK to control their gambling habits.
In 2019, NatWest, which is currently among the leading banks in the country, joined forces with the local gambling charity organisation GamCare to provide advice, support and treatment for problem gamblers and their families experiencing gambling-related harm.
NatWest Joined Forces with GamCare to Enhance Protection against Gambling-Related Harm
As part of the collaboration between GamCare and NatWest, the bank's support teams were provided with special training on how to recognise gambling-related harm and support people who describe themselves as problem gamblers and want to stop gambling.
Before the UK Government imposed the coronavirus restrictions, a number of the bank's branches across the country were used by GamCare for the provision of private consultations as part of the gambling addicts support program.
As revealed by the bank, there was a decline in gambling transactions during the lockdown period earlier this year. However, NatWest revealed that with the restrictions eased across the country, a rapid increase has been registered in the number of gambling-related transactions of its customers.
Natwest Block Gambling Money
The overall gambling-related spending registered in September 2020 is about 32% higher in comparison to the one in 2019.
NatWest is not the first bank unveiling such a scheme to help customers deal with their problem gambling behaviour. A similar ban on gambling transactions has been already introduced by Barclays. Under the gambling block feature, Barclays' customers who decide to resume spending on retail gambling venues or online gambling sites or mobile apps will have to wait 72 hours before they are allowed to make such payments again. The bank automatically rejects any attempts for making a transaction during that time.
As explained by the CEO of retail banking at NatWest, David Lindberg, the implementation of the new debit card block for gambling transactions would help customers dealing with problem gambling behaviour control their spending. Mr Linberg also reminded that gambling addiction and financial struggle usually go hand in hand, so the bank's collaboration with GamCare would make it easier for customers to get specialised help from trained specialists and get advice and treatment to deal with their problem.
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