Since 14 April 2020, Gambling Commission licensees may not accept credit cards for gambling. That covers online and offline gambling, apart from non-remote lotteries. The headline is well known. The detail is less so: the ban reaches further than paying a casino with a credit card directly. Here is what it covers, what it doesn't, and which payment routes are still open to UK players.
On this page6 sections
What the ban covers
- Direct credit card payments to any licensed gambling operator: casino, betting, bingo, poker.
- E-wallets funded by a credit card. Operators were reminded that they must not accept deposits from a customer's e-wallet where the e-wallet is itself funded by a credit card. Routing the card through a wallet doesn't make it a different payment.
- Operators' own controls. Operators must take steps to stop credit-card-funded money reaching them through such intermediaries. That is why some e-wallet deposits are refused, or a wallet asks which source to use.
What remains open
| Route | Allowed for UK gambling? |
|---|---|
| Credit card, direct | No (since 14 April 2020) |
| E-wallet funded by a credit card | No |
| Debit card | Yes |
| E-wallet funded by a bank account or debit card | Yes |
| Bank transfer and open-banking payments | Yes |
| Prepaid vouchers bought with cash or debit card | Yes |
"Visa" and "Mastercard" on a cashier page now mean debit cards for UK accounts. A credit card from either scheme is refused at the card check. Our guides to Visa, PayPal and Trustly cover how each works.
Why it matters for withdrawals too
UK operators usually pay withdrawals back to the method used to deposit. A player who deposited with a debit card gets money back to that card. One who used an e-wallet funded from a bank gets it back to the wallet. Choosing a deposit route with fast payouts saves time later. The fast withdrawal page compares routes, and withdrawal limits explains the caps that can stretch a big payout over weeks.
Common questions
Can I use a credit card at a site licensed outside the UK? Sites without a Gambling Commission licence are not allowed to offer gambling to people in Great Britain. Paying them by any method takes you outside UK protections, including the deposit limit rules and dispute routes.
Does Apple Pay or Google Pay count? They are wallets in front of a card. If the card behind them is a credit card, the deposit is covered by the ban. With a debit card it is allowed. See Apple Pay casinos.
Is buy-now-pay-later allowed? The ban is written around credit cards. Any form of borrowing to gamble deserves the same caution, and UK operators' affordability checks look at the source of funds.
Key points
- Credit cards have been banned for gambling with UK licensees since 14 April 2020.
- The ban includes e-wallets funded by a credit card.
- Debit cards, bank-funded e-wallets, bank transfers and cash-bought vouchers remain open.
- Withdrawals usually go back to the deposit method, so choose it with payouts in mind.