Gamban Agrees on Multi-brand Gambling Block Deal with Lloyds Bank. By Victoria Hughes, 26 February 2020. Gambling blocking software maker Gamban has secured a partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. As part of the arrangement, customers of the Group will have access to Gamban's software which prevents payments for gambling-related products. Gamban has announced a partnership with Lloyds Banking Group, which will provide customers of Lloyds, Bank of Scotland and Halifax access to its gambling blocking system. Integration of blocking software Gamban within Lloyds Banking Group was completed at the end of last month, with a number of consumers having already activated the system. The gambling block is a feature that allows you to block your bank account/bank card/credit card from being used for gambling transactions. A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group said, 'We continually review our products and procedures, and this is part of that.' Lloyds Banking Group made the announcement right after Facebook announced they will block any, and all advertising that promotes digital currencies services or products.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Money and Mental Health welcomes new plans for customer spending controls from more high street banks
04 January 2019
This week a number of major high street banks have revealed plans to give customers new more powers to control spending and manage their finances. Lloyds, Santander and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have indicated that they will introduce new tools in 2019 to enable customers to block payment on certain types of spending, such as gambling or retail. This follows the introduction of similar measures by Monzo, Starling and Barclays last year.
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has been campaigning for financial firms to give customers more tools to control spending since 2017. In response to the new plans reported this week, Helen Undy, Director of Money and Mental Health, said: 'These plans for new spending controls – if put in place – could help millions of people across the country to better manage their finances, and to avoid spending or gambling problems. In particular, it could make a big difference for people with mental health problems, who are more at risk of impulsive spending and compulsive behaviour.
'In the past year we've seen great progress on this issue, with banks such as Barclays, Monzo and Starling giving their customers more tools to control problem spending. We're delighted to see this momentum continuing into 2019, and we urge Lloyds, Santander and RBS to act on these plans in the coming months.
Lloyds Bank Block Gambling Transactions
'We also hope they will consider how they can make these tools harder to switch on and off, which will make them more effective for customers. That will help many more people across the UK to avoid the devastation that problem spending and gambling can bring.'
ENDS
To find about more the links between mental health problems and gambling visit: www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/gambling/
Contact:
For all media enquiries, please contact Brian Semple, Head of External Affairs, on 0207 848 1448 or brian.semple@moneyandmentalhealth.org
Notes to Editors
About Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
Can Lloyds Bank Block Gambling
Gamban Agrees on Multi-brand Gambling Block Deal with Lloyds Bank. By Victoria Hughes, 26 February 2020. Gambling blocking software maker Gamban has secured a partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. As part of the arrangement, customers of the Group will have access to Gamban's software which prevents payments for gambling-related products. Gamban has announced a partnership with Lloyds Banking Group, which will provide customers of Lloyds, Bank of Scotland and Halifax access to its gambling blocking system. Integration of blocking software Gamban within Lloyds Banking Group was completed at the end of last month, with a number of consumers having already activated the system. The gambling block is a feature that allows you to block your bank account/bank card/credit card from being used for gambling transactions. A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group said, 'We continually review our products and procedures, and this is part of that.' Lloyds Banking Group made the announcement right after Facebook announced they will block any, and all advertising that promotes digital currencies services or products.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Money and Mental Health welcomes new plans for customer spending controls from more high street banks
04 January 2019
This week a number of major high street banks have revealed plans to give customers new more powers to control spending and manage their finances. Lloyds, Santander and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have indicated that they will introduce new tools in 2019 to enable customers to block payment on certain types of spending, such as gambling or retail. This follows the introduction of similar measures by Monzo, Starling and Barclays last year.
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has been campaigning for financial firms to give customers more tools to control spending since 2017. In response to the new plans reported this week, Helen Undy, Director of Money and Mental Health, said: 'These plans for new spending controls – if put in place – could help millions of people across the country to better manage their finances, and to avoid spending or gambling problems. In particular, it could make a big difference for people with mental health problems, who are more at risk of impulsive spending and compulsive behaviour.
'In the past year we've seen great progress on this issue, with banks such as Barclays, Monzo and Starling giving their customers more tools to control problem spending. We're delighted to see this momentum continuing into 2019, and we urge Lloyds, Santander and RBS to act on these plans in the coming months.
Lloyds Bank Block Gambling Transactions
'We also hope they will consider how they can make these tools harder to switch on and off, which will make them more effective for customers. That will help many more people across the UK to avoid the devastation that problem spending and gambling can bring.'
ENDS
To find about more the links between mental health problems and gambling visit: www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/gambling/
Contact:
For all media enquiries, please contact Brian Semple, Head of External Affairs, on 0207 848 1448 or brian.semple@moneyandmentalhealth.org
Notes to Editors
About Money and Mental Health Policy Institute
Can Lloyds Bank Block Gambling
Lloyds Bank Gambling Block Software
- The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute was set up by Martin Lewis in spring 2016, registered charity number 1166493.
- It conducts research and develops policies for essential services firms, regulators, the health service and government to help people with mental health problems protect themselves from financial difficulties and get out of debt.
- Martin Lewis OBE, Money Saving Expert, is an award-winning campaigning broadcaster, newspaper columnist and author. He founded MoneySavingExpert.com in 2003 for £100 and remains its full-time Editor-in- Chief. It is now the UK's biggest money site, with more than 14 million monthly users. Martin has his own prime-time ITV programme – The Martin Lewis Money Show – and is resident expert on This Morning, Good Morning Britain and BBC Radio 5 Live's Consumer Panel, among others.
- Helen Undy is a passionate mental health campaigner and became the Institute's Director in 2018, having previously led the Institute's impact and communications work.
Three of the UK's biggest banking groups are exploring ways to support customers who are problem gamblers, although the trio have denied that definitive timeframes for the introduction of payment-blocking tools have been finalised.
Lloyds Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Santander Bank have all confirmed to iGamingBusiness.com that they are considering introducing new tools for clients that would allow them to block debit card transactions to certain sectors, including gambling.
This would bring the trio in line with Barclays Bank, which introduced controls that give customers the option to block or limit transactions with gambling websites, lottery tickets and scratch cards, as well as at retail betting shops, casinos and race tracks in December 2018.
While UK media has suggested that the three banks are likely to introduce such controls within months, all denied that launch dates had been set.
'We are working on functionality for debit card holders to turn off a number of broad categories of spend, for example gambling,' a Santander spokesperson said.
RBS, which also owns the high street banking chain NatWest, added: 'We recently launched the ability for our customers to freeze their credit cards and set spending budgets using our mobile app, and are always looking at further ways to help customers manage their money.'
Lloyds, which like Santander and RBS also told iGamingBusiness.com that it had not offered any guidance on when exactly such tools could be brought in, said: 'We have plans to support our customers who need help with gambling.
'Throughout 2019 we will be enhancing our customer communications so customers are informed and alerted to their gambling spend as well as introducing tools to improve self-service options such as gambling restrictions.
'New card controls give customers more control over debit card transactions for extra peace of mind. This will allow users to quickly and securely restrict card usage, for example if a card has temporarily been misplaced or to avoid a card to be used in certain ways.'
Barclays became the first high-street bank to enable customers to block transactions with gambling companies last month.
After working with the Money Advice Trust and other advisers to develop the required tools, Barclays Mobile Banking app users can now block and control spending on gambling, supermarkets, restaurants, takeaways, pubs and bars, fuel and premium rate websites and phone lines
Earlier in 2018, digital banking services Monzo and Starling Bank introduced voluntary schemes to allow customers to block gambling transactions.