In a statement on its website, the regulator clarified the license condition which prevents operators from accepting payments by credit card directly or through any MSB – such as an e-wallet.
The Gambling Commission urged its licensees to ensure the credit card ban cannot be circumvented by “simply topping up an e-wallet or online money transfer account directly from a credit card.”
Before accepting customer payments via MSB, all operators must ensure customers cannot fund their e-accounts or e-wallets with credit card deposits, and reject all payments made through MSBs that have not developed a block to prevent credit card deposits being used for gambling.
The regulator said the aim of such measures is to “maximise the levels of friction during the process of accessing and using borrowed funds for gambling, in order to reduce the risk of consumers experiencing harm from gambling with borrowed money.”
The Gambling Commission’s credit card ban has been active from 14 April this year.
The measures were instigated following a public consultation carried out between August and November 2019.