The UK Liberal Democrat party has announced a new policy to ban players from gambling with credit cards should they win the upcoming UK General Election on December 12th.
The policy was announced this week and would make it illegal for online gambling websites and high-street betting shops to accept credit cards as payments, although debit cards would still be allowed under the policy.
A number of other policies were also announced, including plans to increase restrictions on gambling advertisements and a plan to introduce a gambling ombudsman. Unfortunately, the UK Liberal Democrats did not elaborate any further on these policies.
The party also called for a compulsory levy on gambling firms which would fund the education, research, and treatment of gambling addictions across the United Kingdom.
Layla Moran, the Lib Dems’ shadow spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, told i: “Problem gambling often has a pernicious and incredibly sad impact on the lives of thousands of people up and down our country. It is heart-breaking to see many vulnerable people fall further into debt as gambling becomes ever-more consuming.”
“But, as ever with this mean-spirited Government, the Conservatives have neglected the problem. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to support the Lib Dem-led initiative to reduce the maximum stake for FOBTs and have no interest in protecting the vulnerable any further.”
She added: “Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats will take bold and decisive action to tackle problem gambling.”
The news comes just weeks after a group of cross-party MPs published a report calling for an end to credit card use at online casinos. The MPs also urged for a maximum bet limit on slots, restrictions on VIP accounts, and called the UK Gambling Commission “unfit” for regulating online casinos.
In the same week, some of the UK’s top gambling firms pledged their commitment to five new responsible gambling measures as part of an effort to prevent the current government from implementing their own, stricter regulations.
Meanwhile, banks across the United Kingdom have been launched new services to help those at risk. HSBC last week launched a tool that allows customers to block gambling transactions while NatWest announced that it will now offer gambling support to customers at branches in partnership with charity GamCare.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Betting and Gaming Council introduced its Anonymous Awareness System (APAS) to betting shops across the nation. The system uses a real-time algorithm which monitors the player’s gambling behaviour and can for players to take a break with its ‘cooling-off’ period.
