Credit card ban: why you can only use debit cards

The credit card ban means you cannot use a credit card to gamble with a licensed site in Great Britain. It has applied since 14 April 2020, and it is a common reason for a card payment to fail.

What the credit card ban covers

Operators cannot accept credit cards as a payment method, and they must also make sure that e-wallets funded by a credit card cannot be used to gamble, as the Gambling Commission clarified in June 2020. A credit card stored in Apple Pay or Google Pay is declined for the same reason. The aim is to stop people gambling with borrowed money, which can quickly lead to debt, so the rule keeps you gambling with money you have.

What you can use instead

• Debit cards: the simplest option, and accepted almost everywhere.
• Pay by Bank and bank transfers: paid straight from your current account.
• Wallets funded from a bank account or balance: such as PayPal, once the funding source is changed.
• Prepaid options: offered by some operators.

A true debit or prepaid card works, while a card that borrows money does not. If it borrows, it is blocked.

Why a deposit may be declined

Check that the card is really a debit card, because some cards from credit providers are credit products. Look at the funding source in your wallet, and check that your bank has not applied its own gambling block. Banks can also decline a payment as a security precaution, so approve it in your banking app if prompted. If nothing explains it, try another accepted method or contact support with the exact message.