An investigation has been opened into claims some asylum seekers used government-funded debit cards to gamble.
The Home Office will lead the inquiry following the news that a Freedom of Information request made by PoliticsHome showed more than 6,500 payments in gambling settings were attempted by asylum seekers in the last year.
The government gives asylum seekers awaiting a decision Aspen cards, which allows them to buy essential items such as food and toiletries with weekly top-ups.
A spokesperson for the Home Office confirmed they are looking into the matter, combing through transactions and if any cards have been misused then urgent action will be taken.
“The Home Office have begun an investigation into the use of Aspen cards.
“The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers, including any dependants, who would otherwise be destitute.”
When asylum seekers arrive in the UK they are welcomed into fully catered hotels and given £9.95 a week on their Aspen card which increases to nearly £50 when they move to self-catered accommodation.
Asylum Seekers Used Aspen Cards To Gamble At Casinos And Slot Machine Arcades
It was alleged 6,537 migrants used the prepaid debit cards in casinos, slot machine arcades and national lottery retailers in the last year.
The highest number of attempts in a single week came last November when 227 people were believed to have tried to spend the funds on gambling.
At the lowest, 40 attempted to use or successfully used the cards to gamble in a week last July.
Some tried to use their cards to gamble online with UK betting sites, but those attempts were blocked. Around 80,000 asylum seekers in the UK have an Aspen card and there are strict limits on their use.
These cards operate on a chip and pin basis only, which means most asylum seekers were able to use them in physical sites. The Home Office was able to collect the data by searching through individual transactions made on the cards.
In some cases, cash withdrawals were even made in or near gambling sites – located using the terminal’s ID number.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
