Spain to follow UK and ban credit cards from iGaming

The example set by the UKGC mad an immediate impact across Europe and Spanish independent consumer rights body FACUA consumidores  en Accion, has asked from the Spanish government to introduce a credit card ban for gambling. The main argument of FACUA is that the proposed ban will help players to avoid falling into debt by betting with money they don’t have.

The request follows UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) decision earlier this week to ban the use of credit cards in all online and land-based gambling. FACUA praised the British ban and said it hoped Spain would follow the example: “This measure would help to fight against gambling, a scourge that in recent years has continued to increase, especially in vulnerable groups such as youth and adolescents, as associations of rehabilitated players and studies in this field have confirmed.

The association asks the government to follow the example of the United Kingdom, which has just approved this measure of protection for the most vulnerable people, that aims to minimise risks to consumers by preventing them from accumulating debts due to gambling, making it the only country in our region that restricts the use of credit cards in this industry”.

The Spanish government is willing to tight gambling regulations with a six-point plan, which includes working with regions to prevent gambling land-based operators opening before 10pm and limiting their proximity to schools.