The role of credit cards in gambling

This report provides the best available evidence on the effectiveness and considerations of implementing a ban or restriction on credit card use to gamble. It will be used to inform an evaluation plan to measure the impact of the Gambling Commission's regulatory intervention in Great Britain. The first section of this report is a review of data on credit card use (supplied by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and the Gambling Commission), to provide insights and context around the current use of credit cards for gambling in the United Kingdom. The second section consists of a rapid evidence review that examines the use of credit in online and offline gambling contexts. In general, the evidence reviewed suggests that credit card use during gambling may be potentially problematic due to: (a) the ease by which credit cards can be obtained and used to gamble, (b) the large amount of credit and potential debt available, and (c) the facilitation of play without natural breaks. Moreover, evidence suggests a relationship between increased credit card use and increased gambling problems. However, the exact nature and direction of causation has yet to be determined.