Irish banks to introduce voluntary block on credit and debit cards transactions 

Responsible Gambling

Ireland’s gambling regulator is working with the country’s main banks to introduce a voluntary block feature on using credit and debit cards to gamble.

In an update on her work, Gambling Regulatory Authority chief executive designate Anne-Marie Caulfield said this would be a “valuable consumer protection measure”.

“ESRI research shows that the average spend by a person experiencing gambling harm is €1,000 per month,” she said.

“We welcome the introduction by AIB and EBS of a voluntary block feature on debit and credit card transactions which are classified as linked to gambling. Revolut also gives customers the ability to implement a gambling block on their account.” 

Ms Caulfield added she was engaging with the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland to roll out this feature across the main pillar banks.

It comes as Ireland’s nascent regulator of the gambling sector has been recruiting for senior roles in recent weeks after the legislation underpinning its operation passed through the Oireachtas before the Dáil was dissolved for November’s general election.

Junior Justice Minister James Browne spearheaded the legislation’s passage through the Oireachtas, which will see advertising restrictions, a national exclusion register and a social fund created to fund problem gambling initiatives.

The regulator itself will have powers of oversight and enforcement within the sector. Gambling companies that breach the law could face substantial fines of up to €20m, or 10% of their turnover.

“I have been leading a programme team working on establishing the structures that will enable us to be an effective fit-for-purpose, independent statutory regulator on our establishment,” Ms Caulfield said in the recent update. “We have made considerable progress in a number of important areas.”

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