Credit card gambling bans compared
Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden ban gambling on credit for licensed operators, and several US states ban credit card funding for online betting. Ontario, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan do not ban credit cards, though the AGCO bars operators from lending to players.
- Coverage
- Great Britain, Canada, United States and Europe
- Sources checked
- 24 October 2026
- Next review
- 24 January 2027
Key points
- Great Britain was first among these markets, banning credit card gambling on 14 April 2020 (licence condition 6.1.2).
- Ireland's ban (from 5 February 2026) and Great Britain's both reach indirect routes: e-money loaded from a credit card in Ireland, money service businesses in Great Britain.
- Spain bans credit cards only for players classed as at risk or intensive.
- The Gambling Commission's interim evaluation found more people stopped using credit to gamble than switched to other sources.
Where credit cards are banned
| Market | Status | Legal source | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | Banned | LCCP condition 6.1.2 | 14 April 2020 |
| Ireland | Banned (GRAI licensees) | Gambling Regulation Act 2024, s.165 | 5 February 2026 |
| Sweden | Gambling financed by credit barred | Gambling Act 2018:1138, ch. 14 s.8 (as amended) | 1 May 2026 |
| Spain | Banned for at-risk and intensive players only | Royal Decree 176/2023, arts. 21 and 30 | 15 March 2024 |
| Massachusetts | Banned (sports wagering) | M.G.L. c.23N § 13(d) | In force |
| Tennessee | Banned (sports wagering) | T.C.A. § 4-49-118; SWAC rules | In force |
| Maine | Ban enacted | Public Law 2025, ch. 628 | Effective date not confirmed |
| Virginia | Ban enacted (sports betting) | HB 515 (2026) | 1 July 2026 (secondary source) |
| Colorado | Ban enacted (press reports) | SB26-131 | Signing and 12 August 2026 start reported by the press; state bill page not yet updated |
| Illinois, Ohio | In progress | Proposed rule (Illinois); proposed amendment (Ohio) | Not confirmed |
| Ontario | Not banned | AGCO standard 5.74 bans operator credit, not cards | n/a |
| New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan | Not banned | Cards listed as approved funding methods | n/a |
| Germany, Denmark | No explicit ban found | Germany bans loans to players (GlüStV § 4) | n/a |
What the bans cover
The bans differ in reach. Great Britain's condition 6.1.2 covers card payments made through a money service business; e-wallets funded by credit cards are handled through Commission guidance rather than the condition itself. Ireland's section 165 writes the e-wallet route into law, covering e-money "which uses money loaded from a credit card", and also bars operators from extending or arranging credit. Sweden's rule is framed around credit in general rather than cards. Spain's applies only to players flagged by the operator's risk systems.
What the evidence says
The Gambling Commission's interim evaluation of the British ban, published on 2 November 2021, said the ban was intended to add friction to gambling with borrowed money and had been successfully implemented. It reported that tracker data showed "a greater proportion have stopped using credit to gamble than have been displaced to other sources", and that bank data showed no spike in money transfers by credit card gamblers in the three months after the ban. Our page on responsible payment design covers the wider research on payment methods and gambling harm.
What operators need to do
- Block credit cards at the cashier in banned markets, using the card's product type from the issuer or processor, and decline credit-funded e-wallet top-ups where the rule or guidance requires.
- Code card transactions correctly as gambling so issuers can apply their own blocks; Visa requires MCC 7995 for card-absent gambling, except US transactions that qualify for its US-only gambling codes.
- Keep a market-by-market record of which methods are allowed, and recheck it when rules change; US states are moving quickly.
Questions about credit card gambling bans
When did the UK ban credit card gambling?
On 14 April 2020, through Gambling Commission licence condition 6.1.2, which applies to all remote licences (with technical exceptions) and to non-remote betting licences.
Can you use a credit card on an e-wallet for gambling?
Not in Ireland, where section 165 covers e-money loaded from a credit card. In Great Britain, Commission guidance says operators should accept e-wallet payments only where the wallet provider can assure them a credit card cannot be used to fund gambling.
Sources
- Gambling Commission, LCCP condition 6.1.2 and interim evaluation of the credit card ban (2 November 2021)
- Irish Statute Book, Gambling Regulation Act 2024 s.165 and S.I. No. 31/2026
- State statutes, rules and bill records as linked on our US page
- All sources checked 24 October 2026.