Report
Prohibition of gambling on credit cards
This report focuses on research conducted around the prohibition of gambling on credit cards
Contents
- Executive summary
- Background and approach
- Methodology and limitations
- Operator Implementation and customer behaviour
- Credit cards and digital wallets
- Deposits prior to the introduction of the ban
- Displacement to other high-cost credit sources
- Displacement to illegal sources of funds
- Bypassing the ban through other behaviours
- Displacement to unlicensed gambling sites
- Inconvenience to leisure gamblers
- Conclusions and next steps
- Appendices
Headline achievements and ABSG recommendations
Since our last progress report, the third year of the National Strategy has seen:
- strengthening of regulatory requirements and interventions to address harms
- publication of a comprehensive government commissioned evidence review by PHE and start of NICE guidelines essential for treatment
- increased involvement of financial institutions in research and earlier support for those at risk
- expansion of education and support work with women, ethnic minority groups, young people and family and friends of those who are harmed
- growth of whole systems population health approaches in Scotland, Wales and some regions in England
- expansion of specialist NHS clinics, and treatment and support offered in NHS primary care and a wider range of community settings
- more diverse academic disciplines engaged in gambling research, using innovative technologies and big data, generating objective indicators of harm
- growing evidence of the differential impact of gambling products and greater recognition of the influence of product and environment on harms as well as individual behaviour.
ABSG Recommendations
In August 2021, the Commission noted its continuing support for the priorities set out in the National Strategy beyond 2022. Strong coordination and collaboration will be required to carry this work forward to ensure the momentum created by the National Strategy is not lost. This must include decisions about future funding models and use of regulatory settlements. Recommendations are set out for regulatory actions and actions by other agencies and organisations, including increased resources for enforcement action and greater transparency and data sharing, population level actions and earlier interventions to reduce harms and improve access to treatment and support.
All recommendations are underpinned by the need for government leadership towards an integrated prevention and treatment system involving those with lived experience alongside healthcare, local authorities and third sector, independent research and evaluation, and an end to funding from voluntary contributions.
Last updated: 8 December 2022
Show updates to this content
Updated link 'priorities set out in the National Strategy beyond 2022' as the guide it originally linked to is due to be archived.