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. Customers will now have to wait 48 hours before they can make gambling-related payments, during which time any attempted transactions will be automatically declined.

The block remains in place unless a customer chooses to remove it, in which case it can be disabled after 48 hours. NatWest customers can access the gambling control in their mobile banking app via a “manage my card” feature.

David Lindberg, CEO of retail banking at NatWest, said: “The introduction of a gambling block for debit card customers will help us to equip problem gamblers across the UK with more tools to support their recovery.