The credit card gambling ban means no business licensed in Great Britain can take your gambling stake on a credit card, either directly or through an e-wallet loaded from one. It has applied since 14 April 2020, online and in shops. Below: the exact licence condition, how it affects PayPal and Apple Pay, the cost of gambling on credit, and what to use instead.
Credit cards used directly, and credit cards used to load an e-wallet that is then used to gamble. Wallet providers are expected to block that route. It applies to online and offline gambling alike, with a narrow exception for some lottery tickets bought in person alongside other shopping.
What you can still use
Debit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets funded from a bank account or debit card. The ban names credit cards; it does not mention overdrafts or loans, which is one reason deposit limits still matter.
How to check a site follows it
The deposit page should list no credit card option. A site accepting credit cards is not licensed in Britain.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open a new account with another; check the terms before signing up.
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Read the Ladbrokes reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
What is covered
Gambling payments by credit card, online and offline, and payments from an e-wallet that was funded by a credit card. The ban has applied since April 2020.
What is not
Debit cards, bank transfers and e-wallets funded from a bank account. Overdrafts and loans are not mentioned in the rule, which is why a deposit limit still matters.
How to use it as a check
A cashier that accepts credit cards from customers in Britain belongs to a site without a British licence.
The UK credit card gambling ban in the licence conditions: LCCP 6.1.2
The ban is written into licence condition 6.1.2 of the Commission's Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. You can read the exact wording of LCCP 6.1.2 (opens in a new tab), but in short it says licensees must not accept payment for gambling by credit card, and that includes a credit card payment passed through a money service business such as an e-wallet. Because it is a licence condition, the duty falls on the operator. Breaching it puts the licence at risk; you as a customer do not commit an offence by trying.
The Commission announced the ban on 14 January 2020 and gave the industry three months to prepare, so it took effect on 14 April 2020. In its announcement of the April 2020 ban (opens in a new tab) it cited a UK Finance estimate that around 800,000 people used credit cards to gamble in 2018, and research suggesting 22% of online gamblers who used credit cards were problem gamblers.
Who does the ban protect in practice? Anyone gambling with a business that holds a Commission licence, whichever product they choose: online casino, slots, bingo, sports betting, poker or online lottery games. It also applies in betting shops, bingo halls and adult gaming centres, because the condition covers non-remote gambling too. The one thing it does not regulate is your own card. You can still hold and use a credit card for everyday spending; it simply cannot be the source of a gambling stake. If you try, the cashier should either hide the option or decline the payment before any money moves, so no interest or fees should arise from an attempt that fails.
What the credit card ban covers in Great Britain
Situation
Covered by the ban?
Notes
Online casino, bingo or betting deposit by credit card
Yes
The cashier should not offer the option
E-wallet such as PayPal or Skrill loaded from a credit card
Yes
The operator should check the money did not come from a credit card
Bets placed over the counter in a betting shop
Yes
The ban applies offline as well as online
Online National Lottery play or instant win games
Yes
Only in-person lottery sales qualify for the exception
Lottery tickets or scratchcards bought in a shop that also sells other goods
No
The narrow non-remote lottery exception
Credit card ban timeline and the payment rules that followed
The credit card ban was the first of several payment-related protections introduced between 2020 and 2026. Seen together, they show the direction of travel: fewer ways to gamble with money you have not got, and more prompts to set limits on the money you have.
UK gambling payment protections, 2020 to 2026
Date
Change
14 January 2020
Credit card ban announced
14 April 2020
Credit card ban in force for all gambling except non-remote lotteries
31 October 2021
Reverse withdrawals banned: you can no longer be offered the option to cancel a withdrawal and play the money
30 August 2024
Financial vulnerability checks begin at £500 net deposits in a rolling 30 days
28 February 2025
That threshold falls to £150 net deposits in a rolling 30 days
31 October 2025
Casinos must prompt you to set a financial limit before your first deposit
30 September 2026
Extended deadline for operators to offer gross deposit limits
A financial vulnerability check is a public-record search for things such as bankruptcy or county court judgments; it is not a credit check and it is not an 'affordability check', a phrase the Commission itself calls inaccurate. Our page on so-called affordability checks explains what is live and what was only piloted. For the newer limit rules, see the deposit limit rules, and for withdrawals see the reverse withdrawal ban.
PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay: when a wallet is linked to a credit card
Most confusion about the ban comes from digital wallets. A wallet is only a route for money, so what matters is where the money starts. The Commission's consumer guide to gambling with a credit card (opens in a new tab) says a business accepting e-wallet payments should make sure the funds were not loaded from a credit card. If your wallet's default source is a credit card, the deposit should be refused, or the wallet will ask you to choose a different source.
The same logic applies to phone wallets. If the card stored in Apple Pay or Google Pay is a credit card, a casino cannot accept it; if it is a debit card, the payment is treated as a debit card payment. Our guides to PayPal at UK casinos, Apple Pay and Google Pay cover each method, and the e-wallet credit card rule page goes into the wallet side in more depth.
How to fix a deposit declined because of a credit card
Open the wallet app and check which card or account is set as the payment source.
Add a debit card or bank account if one is not already linked.
Make the debit card or bank account the default source, or choose it at the payment screen.
Return to the casino cashier and try the deposit again.
If it is still declined, check for a gambling block on your bank card or a deposit limit on your casino account before contacting support.
The declined deposit guide lists the other common causes, from a bank gambling block to a limit you set yourself.
Why gambling on a credit card costs more: a worked pound example
Gambling already has a built-in cost: the house edge. Borrowing adds a second cost on top. This illustration uses round numbers to show how the two stack up; the interest rate is an example, not a quote for any card.
Illustrative cost of losing £100 at a casino, by how it was paid
How the £100 was paid
Cost if repaid at once
Cost after 6 months unpaid at an illustrative 2% a month
Debit card (your own money)
£100
£100
Credit card (before April 2020)
£100
about £112.62
Credit card treated as a cash advance
£100 plus any fee
more, as interest can start straight away
The £112.62 figure is £100 grown at 2% a month for six months. Some card issuers have treated gambling transactions as cash advances, which can mean a fee and interest from the first day; check your card agreement rather than assuming. Add the house edge on top: £500 of slot stakes at a 96% return to player costs £20 on average, so a player who borrowed to fund that play was paying for the borrowing and the edge at the same time. The house edge explainer shows how that average is worked out.
Gambling is a form of entertainment that costs money, and losses are likely over time. It is never a way to repay borrowing.
Overdrafts, loans and buy now pay later: what the credit card ban doesn't mention
The licence condition names credit cards and credit card payments made through money service businesses. The Commission pages on the ban do not mention overdrafts, personal loans or buy now pay later products, so it is safest not to assume any of them is blocked by this rule. If a debit card draws on an arranged overdraft, the casino sees a debit card payment.
That gap is one reason the other tools matter. A bank gambling block stops gambling payments on your debit card regardless of whether the money is yours or borrowed. The Commission lists banks that offer one, including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Monzo, NatWest, Santander and Starling, on its page about blocking gambling transactions (opens in a new tab). With some banks, such as Monzo, turning the block off means contacting support, which builds in a pause.
Set a casino deposit limit below the amount you could comfortably lose in a month.
Turn on your bank's gambling block if you are worried about using an overdraft.
Payment methods UK casinos accept instead of credit cards
Every UK-licensed casino offers bank-funded alternatives. The table below lists only methods each of our five partner casinos names in its own published help pages (or, for 10bet, a third-party listing), so always check the cashier for the current list. Coral and Ladbrokes also say they do not accept credit cards.
Non-credit payment methods named by five UK casinos (checked October 2026)
Casino
Methods named
Source
Coral
Visa, Mastercard and Maestro debit, PayPal, Pay by Bank, Apple Pay, Google Pay, paysafecard
Coral help centre
Ladbrokes
Visa, Mastercard and Maestro debit, PayPal, Pay by Bank, Apple Pay, Google Pay, paysafecard
Ladbrokes help centre
Casumo
Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, PayPal, Trustly, Paysafecard, Skrill, Instant Banking
Casumo site FAQ
PlayOJO
Debit cards, Payz, Apple Pay, Trustly
PlayOJO help page; check the cashier
10bet
Debit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers
10bet help centre names categories only
If you plan to claim a welcome offer, the deposit method matters too. Coral's offer (18+, bet £10 on slots for 100 free spins at 10p each, valid 7 days) excludes Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards. Ladbrokes' offer (18+, play £10 on slots for up to 500 free spins over 10 days) excludes prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers. Terms apply. The Coral bonus payment exclusions and Ladbrokes bonus payment exclusions pages list the detail, and the debit card casino guide covers the most widely accepted option.
Credit card casinos not on GAMSTOP: why card acceptance is a warning sign
Search results for 'credit card casino UK' are full of offshore sites that advertise card deposits as a selling point. A site that takes a credit card from a British customer is either not licensed by the Commission or breaking its licence, and in either case it is unlikely to be honouring the other British protections.
The practical risks go beyond the card itself. Without a British licence there is no GAMSTOP participation, no £5 or £2 slot stake cap, no 10x wagering cap and no Commission-approved dispute route if a withdrawal is refused. Trying to recover money through a card chargeback is slow and uncertain, and it does nothing about winnings a site refuses to pay. The risks of unlicensed casinos page sets out what else you lose, and our new casino red flags list covers other warning signs.
If you have been gambling on credit: practical next steps
Using borrowed money to gamble, whether from a card, an overdraft or a loan, is one of the clearest signs that gambling is causing harm. Help is free and confidential, and none of these steps commits you to anything.
Stop depositing and set every casino account's deposit limit to the lowest amount; decreases take effect immediately.
Turn on a gambling block with your bank, and consider blocking software on your devices.
Register with GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) to exclude yourself from all GB-licensed gambling sites for 6 months to 5 years.
Call the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), on 0808 8020 133, free and open 24 hours a day.
Ask about NHS gambling clinics, which accept self-referrals in England, and get free debt advice before agreeing any repayment plan.
Everything here is dated. Offers and facts were last checked on 5 October 2026; this is not a live feed. Casino details come from each casino's published terms and help pages and the Gambling Commission's public register. How we check. 18+. Free help: 0808 8020 133 or safer gambling.
Frequently asked questions
Can I gamble with a credit card in the UK?
No, you cannot gamble with a credit card at any business licensed by the Gambling Commission in Great Britain. Since 14 April 2020, licence condition 6.1.2 has barred operators from accepting credit card payments for gambling, online and offline, and that includes credit card money passed through an e-wallet such as PayPal or Skrill. The only exception is for some lottery tickets and scratchcards bought in person in shops that also sell other goods. Any site that does accept a credit card from a British customer is either unlicensed or breaking its licence. Our payment rules hub covers the related rules on cards and wallets.
Since when?
The credit card gambling ban has applied since 14 April 2020. The Gambling Commission announced it on 14 January 2020, after a review of online gambling and the use of credit cards, and gave operators three months to change their payment systems. It covers all gambling, online and offline, apart from non-remote lottery sales, and it has not been relaxed since. Later payment-related rules built on it, including the ban on reverse withdrawals from 31 October 2021 and financial limit prompts from 31 October 2025. The 2020 to 2024 timeline shows where the ban sits among the other changes of that period.
Does PayPal get round it?
No, using PayPal does not get round the credit card ban if the PayPal payment is funded by a credit card. The Commission's guidance says a gambling business accepting payment from an e-wallet such as PayPal or Skrill should make sure the money was not loaded from a credit card. In practice that means the payment is declined or you are asked to choose a different source, such as a linked debit card or bank account. PayPal itself remains an allowed method when it is funded from your bank. Note that some welcome offers, including Coral's and Ladbrokes', exclude PayPal deposits. The PayPal casino guide has the details.
What can I use?
You can use a debit card, Pay by Bank or open banking, a bank transfer, or an e-wallet or phone wallet funded from a bank account or debit card. Visa and Mastercard debit cards are the most widely accepted option at UK casinos, and Apple Pay or Google Pay work when the card stored in them is a debit card. Prepaid vouchers such as paysafecard are another route at some sites, though they are often excluded from welcome offers. Withdrawals usually go back to the method you deposited with. Our casino payment methods hub compares each option, including Pay by Bank, which moves money straight from your bank account.
Which offers have no wagering?
Coral's, Ladbrokes' and PlayOJO's current welcome offers have no wagering on spin winnings. Coral: 18+, new players, bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games, valid 7 days. Ladbrokes: 18+, new customers, play £10 on slots to get 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 at 10p each, valid 7 days. PlayOJO: 18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland, first deposit of £10 or more for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, with winnings paid in cash. Payment exclusions and full terms apply. See latest no wagering offers.
What payment method should I use for a first deposit?
A debit card is the safest general choice for a first deposit, because it is accepted at every partner casino and qualifies for most welcome offers. Check the offer terms first, though. Coral's offer excludes certain debit cards as well as Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill and prepaid cards, while Ladbrokes' excludes prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers. Casumo's 50% bonus needs a minimum £20 first deposit and PlayOJO's 80 spins need at least £10. Since 31 October 2025 you will also be prompted to set a deposit limit first. The first deposit checklist walks through each step.
Are there no deposit offers?
None of our five partner casinos currently offers a no-deposit bonus. Every welcome offer we list needs a qualifying deposit, and in Coral's and Ladbrokes' case a £10 stake on slots too. No-deposit offers have become rare at UK-licensed casinos, partly because operators must verify your age and identity before you can gamble, even with a bonus, which makes sign-up giveaways costlier to run. Where you do see one, read the terms closely for a low maximum win and a short expiry. Our page on why there are so few no-deposit bonuses explains the reasons in full.
Do you list newly launched casinos?
No, we do not list newly launched casinos until their details can be verified, and we currently feature five established, UK-licensed partners. A brand-new site may be perfectly legitimate, but its payment record, complaint history and terms are unknown at launch. Instead of listing unverified names, we explain how to judge a new site yourself: confirm the licence on the Commission's register, check the operator behind it, read the withdrawal and bonus terms, and look for safer gambling tools. Our guide on how to judge a new casino sets out each check in order.
What is GAMSTOP?
GAMSTOP is the free national self-exclusion scheme that blocks you from every online gambling site and app licensed in Great Britain. Every online operator has had to take part since 31 March 2020. You choose an exclusion period of 6 months, 1 year or 5 years, and it cannot be cancelled early. When the period ends, the exclusion stays in place until you ask GAMSTOP to remove it. GAMSTOP covers online gambling only, so land-based venues have their own schemes. The GAMSTOP requirement page explains what operators must do when you sign up.
Can I use Apple Pay with a credit card at a UK casino?
No, you cannot use Apple Pay at a UK casino if the card stored in it is a credit card. The ban looks at the source of the money, not the payment button, so a credit card inside Apple Pay or Google Pay is treated as a credit card payment and should be refused. If you add a debit card to the wallet and select it at the payment screen, the deposit is treated as a debit card payment and can go through. Check whether your chosen welcome offer accepts Apple Pay before depositing. The Apple Pay casino guide explains limits and withdrawals.
Is it illegal for me to gamble with a credit card?
No, the credit card ban is not an offence that applies to you as a player. It is a licence condition, LCCP 6.1.2, that applies to gambling businesses licensed in Great Britain, so the duty is on the operator to refuse credit card payments and to check e-wallet funding. If an operator breaks the condition, it risks regulatory action against its licence. In practice the payment should simply be declined. If a site happily accepts your credit card, treat that as a warning sign about the site rather than a loophole. The LCCP explainer describes how licence conditions work.
Can I withdraw casino winnings to a credit card?
No, you cannot receive withdrawals to a credit card at a UK-licensed casino, because you cannot deposit with one in the first place. Most casinos follow a closed-loop policy, paying winnings back to the method you used to deposit where possible, which in practice means a debit card, bank account or bank-funded e-wallet. Visa debit withdrawals can be quick where the casino supports Visa Fast Funds, while bank transfers can take a few working days after approval. Our guide on how to withdraw casino winnings covers the process and typical timings.
Does the credit card ban apply to the National Lottery?
Yes, the ban covers National Lottery play online, but not lottery tickets or scratchcards bought in person in a shop that also sells other goods. That in-store exception is the only gap in the rule, and it exists because those purchases are often part of a wider shop transaction. Online lottery draws and instant win games bought through a website or app fall under the same credit card restriction as casino and betting deposits. For a broader view of what counts as gambling under British law, see our Gambling Act 2005 explainer.
Why was my casino deposit declined?
A casino deposit is usually declined because the card or wallet is linked to a credit card, a bank gambling block is switched on, a deposit limit has been reached, or the casino needs to finish verifying your identity. Start by checking which card your wallet uses, then look at your bank app for a gambling block, then check your casino account's limits page. Operators also restrict some methods; Coral and Ladbrokes, for example, limit UK customers to three active payment methods in a rolling 30 days. Our declined deposit guide works through each cause in order.
Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Get free support from GamCare or NHS gambling support, or block yourself from all UK-licensed gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
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