Credit card betting banned in Ireland as well as advertising during live sport

Credit cards can no longer be used to place a bet in Ireland after bookmakers nationwide agreed to an industry-wide ban on their use by Irish customers, both online and in shops.

Bookmakers have also agreed to a pre-watershed whistle-to-whistle advertising ban for live sport in Ireland in the wake of the country's president, Michael D Higgins, describing the proliferation of gambling adverts as a "scourge".

Last month Higgins welcomed a debate on sports gambling advertising in the public discourse having met with people who have overcome addictions and spoke of "dangerous gambling advertisements which continue to cause so much damage to families and individuals".

The ban on credit cards and the whistle-to-whistle advertising ban for live sports is part of an updated Code of Practice for safer gambling introduced by the Irish Bookmakers' Association which outlines a comprehensive set of industry commitments across a range of player protection measures.

All IBA members, including BoyleSports, Flutter Entertainment, Entain and Independent operators will adopt this latest version of the Code. They will be joined in this by other major operators, including bet365, Betway, The Kindred Group and many more.

Sharon Byrne, the IBA chairperson, said these developments are hugely important in the quest to prevent problem gambling but believes more can, and will, be done.

Byrne said: "We recognise that there is a need for the industry to continue to develop the highest of standards for safer gambling. We believe in particular that the credit card ban and the 'whistle-to-whistle' advertising restrictions are significant steps on that path."

Sharon Byrne: 'These measures ensure standards are increased for all'Credit: Patrick McCann

She continued: "The IBA has long called for the establishment of a regulator in Ireland and we welcome the government's commitment to legislating for that in the coming period.

"This Code is not the answer to problem gambling and we believe there is more that can be done within the forum provided by a regulator. However, we believe that these measures continue the journey the industry has been on in recent years, to ensure standards are increased for all."

Bookmakers are committed to the removal of credit cards as a payment method both online and in shops, and the change is already in place for some operators, while others will make the necessary technological changes within their business as soon as is possible, and no later than the end of the year.

The restriction on TV advertising on live sport will be before 9pm. This removal of advertising will involve live sporting events and will run from five minutes before the event until five minutes after. It will not include horseracing or greyhound racing.

Byrne added: "We believe these are important changes for customers and represent the single widest industry initiative seen in Ireland since the introduction of Safer Gambling Week.

"We hope that those few operators who have not endorsed the Code will do so before long. And we look forward to working with the proposed regulator to adopt further evidence-based measures."

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