Irish banks are offering their citizens more protection against problematic gambling with the ability to block their gambling transactions on their cards.
In an effort to encourage responsible gambling, the ban has been adopted by some Irish banks. AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB are all part of the efforts.
The idea was introduced by The Irish Banking Culture Board and is part of a wider initiative to decrease problematic gambling in Ireland.
Because of how many people use their cards online for gambling transactions, the IBCB reasons that the voluntary card blocking will help gamblers control their finances and be less tempted to use their cards online.
How Will The Card Blocking Work?
The IBC’s new programme, the Common Commitment of Care for Problem Gambling, will be in charge of helping banks facilitate voluntary card blocking measures.
Customers of the bank contact their bank and request the card block. Like a light switch, this automatically registers that they do not want their card to be used or connected to any gambling-related transactions. If they do try to make any, the card will not go through because it is blocked.
What Else Is the IBCB Doing?
As well as providing a card blocking service for various Irish bank customers, the IBCB is committed to having phone lines available for gamblers to contact, hiring trained staff to deal with any gambling issues, and providing the right signposting to gambling support services.
Marion Kelly, the CEO of the Irish Banking Culture Board, said of the new initiative: “Problem gambling can cause serious harm to individuals, families, and communities. IBCB member banks recognise their responsibility to respond with compassion and practical support when customers reach out for help”.
She continued, “This Common Commitment of Care ensures that anyone experiencing gambling difficulties will find clear, accessible supports to assist them through their bank. The introduction of a voluntary card block by AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB will make an important contribution to those experiencing problem gambling, and IBCB calls on other financial services players to put in similar measures”.
Will The Card Blocking Work?
Card blocking is a common technique used by casinos to help their customers who may be experiencing problematic gambling. These are offered as self-exclusions, where players voluntarily request that their access to the casino and its services be blocked. Usually, this will be for a fixed period.
Another similar measure casinos have is time-outs, where players can lose access to their account for shorter periods of time, for days or weeks. This is also known as a cooling-off period, and helps players to reevaluate their choice and desire to gamble.
This initiative could be very good for Irish gamblers. As a country that likes to gamble, offering players the option to disconnect their debit card from online gambling could be beneficial. Those who struggle with gambling too much may benefit from these cooling-off periods because their cards cannot be physically used on gambling sites.
This is more efficient than requesting this from a specific casino because a bank could block any gambling-related transactions across the board. However, when casinos offer this service, they block it for their site only, when there are thousands of online casinos out there.
In the last few years, there has been increasing pressure from companies to enable measures to minimise the harm of problematic gambling, and this is a step in the right direction for Ireland.
