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Gambling: Bank Services

Asked by Kim LeadbeaterLabourDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled Answered 16 December 2025UIN 97822

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of banking safeguards for protecting vulnerable customers, especially the use of gambling blocks and loopholes using open-banking gateways.

Answered by Ian Murray

The Government recognises that harmful gambling can wreck the lives of individuals, families and communities. Working with the Gambling Commission, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk through a range of new safer gambling requirements.

The vast majority of banks offer gambling bank blocks, a useful tool to help vulnerable customers control their gambling. We encourage all banks to offer gambling blocks to improve the availability of these tools and support the work of organisations, such as Money Mental Health Lab, to improve the safer gambling tools offered by the financial sector.

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