GamCare urges banks to raise awareness of gambling blocks
The UK gambling support charity says many customers are not aware of the availability of the tools.
UK.- The charity GamCare has urged banks to do more to raise awareness of gambling block tools among their customers. Blocks are available with many UK banks, but the charity says customers are often not aware.
It recommended that banks routinely refer customers to the tools and to support services such as TalkBanStop, the joint initiative between GamCare, Gamban and Gamstop. It made the recommendation following a Gambling Related Financial Harm (GRFH) workshop.
Deelan Maru, an advisor on the Behavioural Insights Team, said: “Our analysis of bank gambling tools shows that gambling blocks have inconsistent naming conventions across different banking apps. For example, one bank may call it “card freeze” whilst another would place it under “merchant control” or “restriction” settings – ultimately causing ambiguity and confusion for the consumer.
“Offering these tools in intuitive locations and adopting consistent naming across the finance sector could help drive awareness and adoption of gambling management tools, ensuring more vulnerable customers are protected from gambling harms.”
Other announcements at the event include a registry of the bank account details for members of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). The BGC says this will allow banks to stop faster payments and transfers to gambling operators when customers have placed a block.
GamCare CEO Anna Hemmings steps down
Earlier this month, GamCare announced that its chief executive officer Anna Hemmings has stepped down after five years in the position. Chair of trustees, Margot Daly, has taken up an executive role while the charity seeks a new chief executive.
GamCare praised Hemmings’ achievements during her tenure, including the strengthening of GamCare’s traditional and new digital channels and the diversification of its education and support services. It noted that Hemmings had increased the role of lived experience at the charity, sealed new funding agreements and expanded its reach during a period that included the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK government’s review of gambling legislation.
