Bank Gambling Blocks in the UK: How to Turn Them On at Monzo, Revolut, Santander, NatWest and More

Almost every UK bank now lets you block gambling payments on your card, usually with one switch in the app. The government's 2023 gambling white paper put it at about 90% of UK current accounts from retail banks. The block takes effect straight away. Turning it off is deliberately slower: most banks make you wait 48 hours to 3 days before a gambling payment goes through again. Here is how to switch it on at each major bank, and what it will not catch.

How a bank gambling block works

Every card payment carries a merchant category code that says what kind of business is being paid. A gambling block declines card payments to businesses coded as gambling. That makes it strong against licensed betting sites, casinos and bookmakers, which code their payments correctly, and weak against anything that does not. It also only covers the card or account you set it on, so each card needs its own block.

Monzo gambling block

Monzo's gambling block covers card payments to gambling merchants, online and in person, and turns on instantly from your card settings in the app. When you turn it on you choose a cooldown, anywhere from 2 days up to 1 year, and Monzo will not lift the block until that time has passed. If you have talked to Monzo about your gambling before, you need to message its team to turn the block off. The block is for card payments only, but Monzo says it can block other payments, such as bank transfers, if you ask.

Revolut gambling block

Revolut's gambling block is off by default. Tap your profile icon, then Security, then Payments, switch on Gambling block and confirm. It works immediately on card payments identified as gambling, online or at a betting shop counter. Lifting it takes up to 48 hours. Revolut says it does not affect bank transfers or payments made through third-party apps.

Santander gambling block

If you have a Santander debit Mastercard, you can block gambling in the Mobile Banking app under Card controls. Santander says this blocks most gambling payments you make with your card, and that gambling transactions stay blocked for 48 hours after you ask to remove it.

NatWest and RBS gambling block

In the NatWest app (or the Royal Bank app for RBS), choose your account, then Manage my card, then Card payment controls, and switch on Gambling. It applies to you and any additional cardholders, and once on it cannot be removed for 48 hours. It covers chip and PIN, contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay in shops, card payments online and in apps, recurring payments to UK regulated gambling, and lottery tickets bought online or in apps. NatWest lists what it will not block: bank transfers and open banking payments, PayPal and other e-wallets, crypto gambling platforms, unregulated or overseas sites, and lottery tickets bought in person. Ulster Bank has the same control in its app, with a 48-hour cooling-off period.

Starling gambling block

Open the Starling app, select Cards, then Gambling controls, and turn on the gambling block. You will then not be able to pay most gambling merchants by card, online or in person. If you have more than one Starling account, apply the block to each card. Starling applies a 48-hour delay when you change it back.

Barclays gambling block

In the Barclays app, tap Your cards, choose your debit card, then Card limits and controls, and switch off gambling payments. Barclays blocks debit card payments to the gambling providers it can detect, and says you remain responsible for any it was not able to stop. If you switch gambling payments back on, you have to wait 72 hours before you can gamble again.

Lloyds and Halifax gambling block

Lloyds calls it a gambling freeze. In the app, tap Manage card, then Card freezes and limits, and switch on the gambling freeze. It blocks payments to gambling retailers instantly, and you can only add it in the mobile app. When you toggle it off, Lloyds removes the freeze after 48 hours, and you can switch it back on during that time if you change your mind. It does not apply to Direct Debits or bank transfers, and you need to set it again if your card is replaced after being lost or stolen. Halifax and Bank of Scotland are part of the same group and offer the same gambling freeze in their apps.

Nationwide gambling block

In the Nationwide app, choose your account, then Manage cards, then Gambling, and turn it on. In the internet bank it is under More options, then Set up gambling controls. It covers card payments online and in person, including saved card details and Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. If you turn it off, you must wait 72 hours before gambling payments work again, and Nationwide says it cannot turn the block off any quicker, even over the phone or in a branch. It cannot block bank transfers, open banking payments, in-game purchases, or scratch cards and lottery tickets in some shops.

HSBC and first direct gambling block

In the HSBC app, tap your account, then View more, Manage cards and Gambling restrictions, and switch it on for each card. You can also call HSBC on 03457 404 404 or ask in a branch. It covers card payments in shops and online, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and recurring card subscriptions, but not open banking payments. HSBC keeps declining gambling payments for 3 days after you turn the restriction off. At first direct, the setting is under Cards, then Set limits and controls, then Gambling transactions, with the same 3-day wait.

TSB, Chase UK, Co-operative Bank and Metro Bank

• TSB: Manage Cards, choose your card, then Gambling block. It takes effect straight away, and you wait 48 hours to gamble again after turning it off. You can also set it in Internet Banking, in a branch or by phone. TSB says it does not block Faster Payments and bank transfers, non-UK gambling sites or crypto.
• Chase UK: See card, then Manage card, Card controls and Gambling. To remove it you must speak to Chase's customer care team first, then wait 48 hours.
• Co-operative Bank: a Gambling card control in the app or online banking, with a 48-hour cooling-off period before payments are allowed again.
• Metro Bank: no dedicated gambling block. It suggests freezing your card in the app, but unfreezing is instant, so it gives no cooling-off time.

What a bank gambling block can't stop

The banks are open about the gaps, and they are worth knowing before you rely on a block alone:

• Bank transfers and open banking payments. Almost every bank above excludes them, because they do not carry a merchant code.
• E-wallets. NatWest says its block will not stop PayPal or other e-wallets, and Monzo says it misses wallets that do not pass the gambling code on. Nationwide says PayPal gambling payments are usually stopped.
• Crypto. Buying crypto is not a gambling payment, so a block does not see where the money goes next.
• Offshore and miscoded sites. Monzo warns that unregulated or offshore sites can deliberately use the wrong business code to get round bank blocks.
• Cash, and lottery tickets or scratch cards bought in some shops.
• Other cards and accounts. A block on one card does nothing for a card at another bank.

Credit cards are a separate case. Gambling with a credit card at UK-licensed operators has been banned since 14 April 2020, and several banks block gambling on their credit cards automatically. As NatWest puts it, a gambling payment on a credit card means the site is unregulated.

How to close the gaps

• Turn the block on for every card you hold, at every bank, including joint accounts and savings accounts with a card.
• Ask your bank whether it can also stop bank transfers to gambling companies. Monzo offers this on request.
• Block the sites themselves. A bank block works at the moment you pay; a website blocker works before you get that far. BetClear blocks gambling websites with encrypted DNS on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows 11, using a list of more than 500,000 gambling sites that updates automatically, including offshore sites that are not part of GamStop and may try to get round bank blocks. No blocker is perfect, because new sites appear all the time. If one gets through, you can report it.
• Register with GamStop to exclude yourself from online gambling operators licensed in Great Britain.
• If money is already a problem, talk to someone. The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare, is free on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day.

Sources

• Monzo: Gambling support and How to use the gambling and spending block (monzo.com)
• Revolut: What is gambling block? (help.revolut.com)
• Santander: Gambling help and Card controls (santander.co.uk)
• NatWest: Managing your gambling (natwest.com); RBS: Manage your gambling (rbs.co.uk); Ulster Bank: What is the gambling control feature? (ulsterbank.co.uk)
• Starling Bank: Gambling help and support, and Card controls (starlingbank.com)
• Barclays: Merchant control and Gambling support (barclays.co.uk)
• Lloyds Bank: Help with gambling and Card freezes (lloydsbank.com)
• Nationwide: Gambling support (nationwide.co.uk)
• HSBC: Gambling restrictions and FAQs (hsbc.co.uk); first direct: Gambling support (firstdirect.com)
• TSB: Gambling support (tsb.co.uk); Chase UK: Add a gambling block (chase.co.uk); Co-operative Bank: Card management (co-operativebank.co.uk); Metro Bank: Gambling support (metrobankonline.co.uk)
• UK government: High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, white paper, 27 April 2023 (gov.uk)