Do UK Bingo Sites Accept Credit Cards

Since April 2020, online gambling sites have banned all credit card transactions in order to comply with the UK Gambling Commission’s new framework. Additionally, most banks will now block your debit card’s gambling transactions by default, though you can remove than bank block manually yourself.

All the measures come in order to safeguard responsible gamblers and take precautionary measures to help problem gamblers stay out of debt and out of trouble.

In this article, we’re answering the following questions:

• do bingo sites take credit cards?
• are credit cards accepted by online bingo sites?
• are there UK bingo sites that accept debit cards?
• why is my bank blocking gambling transactions on my debit card?

Credit Cards Banned Since April 2020 For Gambling

That’s why many punters were gobsmacked when in April of 2020, the British government announced a ban on credit cards being used for gambling. The ban followed The Gambling Commission’s review of online gambling and the Government’s Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures.

The research revealed that 24 million adults in Great Britain gamble, with 10.5 million of those gambling online. And separate research undertaken by the Commission showed that 22% of online gamblers using credit cards to gamble were classed as problem gamblers – with even more at some risk of harm.

The idea of the ban is to tackle the underlying problem of gambling addiction and also to provide a significant layer of additional protection to vulnerable people.

Gambling Block From UK Banks

Another measure put in place to safeguard your hard-earned penny is bank gambling blocks. In order to help customers restrict their spending on gambling, most banks currently offer gambling blocking solutions, and while each scheme operates in its own way, fundamentally they all work the same. The gambling block is a feature that allows you to block your bank account/bank card/credit card from being used for gambling transactions, which basically means ‘turning off’ or limiting your gambling spending. This is a great option that can really help you manage your money if you have a reputation for getting into a bit of a pickle with your spending, missing payments, or getting into debt.

The most straightforward payment method guaranteed to be accepted in every UK bingo site remains the good old regular debit card linked to a UK bank account. It’s universally accepted and the easiest payment option. Plus most bingo sites will require you to register a debit card with them for account verification, even if you use a different method when you actually deposit.

But if you do not wish to use a debit card then there are plenty of other bingo payment methods to choose from, such as prepaid voucher payment systems, e-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller), or via direct bank transfer.

Why Do All These Institutions Block Gambling Transactions

All these hurdles players have to jump over to gamble online are put in place to keep problem gamblers safe and to make it harder for them to lose more than they can afford. Responsible gamblers will go through the unblocking procedure and gamble a few days later once the bank lifted the ban. A problem gambler would most likely have spent too much if the ban was not in place.

Whilst these measures are far from perfect, they come from a good place. Remember, these banks and governmental bodies have to answer to stakeholders. Gambling already has a poor reputation so we can only expect more hoops to jump through to be able to spend money on legit UK gambling sites.

If you feel that you are spending too much money on gambling, it may be time to take a long, hard look at your habits and consider blocking gambling payments with your bank. So have fun playing, know when to call it quits, and remember the golden rule: never bet more than you can afford to lose. Good luck!