Allied Irish Bank in Ireland Launches Voluntary Gambling Block for Cardholders

Allied Irish Bank (AIB) in Ireland has introduced a voluntary feature that allows customers to block all gambling activity on their credit and debit cards. This new service, launched in collaboration with gamblingcare.ie, aims to support individuals struggling with gambling addiction by limiting their access to gambling products both online and in person. The feature will also be available through EBS, a bank owned by AIB.

AIB’s Managing Director of Retail Banking, Geraldine Casey, highlighted the broader impact of problem gambling, noting that it can harm not only the individual but also their families, relationships, finances, employment, and mental health. She emphasized the importance of the financial services industry in supporting customers facing gambling difficulties, stating, “It’s important AIB does what we can to help them stop the harm.”

This initiative follows research from gamblingcare.ie, which found that individuals with gambling problems are more likely to seek help from their financial services provider than from family or friends.

AIB is not the first financial institution to take measures against problem gambling. In 2022, Revolut banned transactions to gambling websites in Ireland after discovering that gamblers were transferring funds from credit cards to their Revolut accounts before depositing them into online gambling accounts.

The move by AIB comes amid growing concern over gambling addiction in Ireland. Earlier this year, The Rutland Centre, Ireland’s main treatment facility for addiction, reported that 20% of its admissions in 2023 were related to gambling addiction. Additionally, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that in 2023, about 1 in 30 adults in Ireland, or approximately 130,000 people, were suffering from the harms of problem gambling—a tenfold increase from 2019. The ESRI also reported that 279,000 adults are showing early signs of problem gambling, with 64% of adults in Ireland having gambled before the age of 18.