People struggling with gambling will be able to have their debit cards blocked from registered websites and apps under a new banking initiative.
The voluntary card-blocking initiative, launched on Friday by the Irish Banking Culture Board and member banks AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB, is designed to work like a “switch”.
Today, 90 per cent of gambling takes place online with 99 per cent of it funded via debit cards.
“This is something that we’ve been pushing for and advocating for, for years,” said Barry Grant, project manager of Extern Problem Gambling, an online support and counselling service.
RM Block
“The blanket blocking is massive. It’s just a switch – all gambling is blocked. Some of our service users would have dozens of online gambling accounts or apps, but they generally have one bank account. If you can cut it off at source, that’s massive.”
Banks often allow customers to unblock gambling sites on request, but only after a cooling-off period that can be enough for the short-term desire to dissipate.
Oisín McConville, an All-Ireland winning footballer with Armagh and ambassador for the awareness-raising outfit Gambling Care who has spoken about his own gambling addiction, said the impact of blocking digital access was substantial.
“Ninety-nine per cent of people that come forward for help as far as gambling is concerned are in crisis, financially and every other way,” he said. “With gambling, it’s so hidden that the opportunity is not there [for others to catch it early]. I think this can help.”
