Ireland’s Allied Irish Bank (AIB) has announced that it has introduced a voluntary feature allowing customers to block all gambling activity with both its credit and debit cards.
The new service, launched in partnership with gamblingcare.ie, is aimed at helping those suffering from gambling addiction to limit their access to gambling products online and in person. The feature will also be available through the EBS bank which is owned by AIB.
Speaking of the feature, AIB Managing Director Retail Banking, Geraldine Casey said:
“We understand that when gambling becomes harmful it can affect not just the person involved, but their families and friends too. It can damage relationships, finances, employment, and mental health.
The financial services industry has a role to play in supporting customers as they combat any gambling difficulties they may have, and it’s important AIB does what we can to help them stop the harm.
That is why we are putting in place additional supports for customers who wish to take steps to protect themselves from problem gambling.’’
The move comes following research carried out by gamblingcare.ie that revealed that people who are struggling with a gambling problem are more likely to speak with a person at their financial services provider than a family member or friend.
AIB is not the first financial provider to take action to protect problem gamblers. In 2022, Revolut banned transactions to gambling websites in Ireland. The ban was introduced as it was discovered that gamblers were first transferring funds from credit cards to their Revolut accounts before depositing into online gambling accounts.
Ireland’s Gambling Problem
Earlier this year Ireland’s main treatment centre for addiction, The Rutland Centre, reported that 20% of its admissions across 2023 were for gambling addiction.
Its annual report revealed that of the 5,213 people admitted throughout 2023, 1,042 were admitted primarily for gambling addiction.
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) reported that in 2023 as many as 1 in 30 adults in Ireland were suffering from the harms of problem gambling or around 130,000. This was a tenfold increase on the number recorded in 2019.
The ESRI also reports that 279,000 adults are displaying the early signs of problem gambling.
In June of 2024 the ESRI reported that 64% of adults in Ireland had gambled before reaching the age of 18.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.
