GambleAware evaluates self-exclusion schemes and welcomes Barclays’ gambling spend blocking tool

Evaluation of Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Schemes

GambleAware has commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct an evaluation of the online and each of the non-remote Multi-Operator Self-Exclusion Schemes (“MOSES”).

The evaluation will take a phased approach, the first phase of which will focus on:

  • research into overall awareness of self-exclusion, MOSES, and barriers to their use,
  • preliminary research with MOSES users where sample can be acquired, and
  • scoping potential approaches and outcome indicators for later phases.

GambleAware expects findings to be available at the end of July 2019.

You can download GambleAware’s press release below.

Barclays’ gambling spend blocking tool

The above announcement comes on the same day that Marc Etches, the chief executive of GambleAware, has welcomed news that Barclays has become the first high street bank to allow customers to block payments to gambling operators (including gambling websites and betting shops) and other retailers, saying:

GambleAware welcomes this initiative by Barclays, which we hope will encourage other banks to do the same. There are 340,000 problem gamblers in Britain and a further 1.7 million at risk, and initiatives like this can play an important role in helping to reduce gambling-related harms. There are no limits to stakes and prizes for online gambling, and credit cards are allowed so it is important to make it easier for people to control their spending.

As previously reported by us, in September 2018, plans announced by the Labour Party to radically overhaul gambling regulation included a call for “collaboration with major banks and financial firms to allow gamblers to stop transactions using the Merchant Category Codes on their debit cards, should they choose to do so”.

As also previously reported, in March 2018, the Gambling Commission flagged up its intention to consider whether gambling by use of credit cards should continue to be permitted, and this was underlined by Gambling Minister, Mims Davies MP, at this month’s GambleAware Harm Minimisation conference when she said: “I know there are increasing concerns around people gambling on credit cards and whether this should be permitted. This is an area we are already looking into in detail to understand the full situation and to consider if action in this space is needed”.

Barclays’ press release can be downloaded below.

UPDATE: Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander banks have confirmed that they intend to follow Barclays’ example

Download article PDF: Barclays - Press release 11.12.18