A report in the Irish Independent has revealed that William Hill will ban the use of credits cards for all online betting services beginning today, February 16th 2022.
In an email to local William Hill customers the company said:
“It‘s our ambition that nobody is harmed by gambling and we’re getting in touch to let you know that we will be voluntarily removing credit card deposits as a payment option.”
The news of William Hill’s ban follows a similar move by Paddy Power owner Flutter Entertainment in February 2021. It also comes just a couple of weeks after online bank Revolut announced that it was banning all payments from credits cards to gambling websites following complaints that gamblers were using the bank’s services to indirectly fund gambling activities using borrowed money.
According to the report, there are still several major gambling companies that allow the use of credits cards while the Irish Bookmakers Association has stated that it does not have the power to place an outright ban on credit card gambling. This is due to the fact that Irish gambling laws have yet to directly address the use of credit cards.
However, with a new gambling regulator set to be introduced in a sweeping reform of Ireland’s gambling industry, this could change in the very near future. The new regulator is expected to be in place by the end of 2022 or in early 2023. Until that time, it is up to gambling companies to decide whether or not they should allow the use of credit cards.
Earlier this month, Apple and Google introduced measures that would allow Irish betting apps to stop credit card gambling through Apple Pay or Google Pay. According to the Independent, some local betting companies have chosen to ignore this option in direct contravention to the Irish Safer Gambling Code.
In recent months, the Irish government has revealed the powers that the new regulator will have including the ability to suspend or revoke licenses and freeze customer accounts or block incoming payments to providers. It also revealed that free bets will be banned as part of the gambling industry’s reform.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.
