Britain bans use of credit cards to gamble to prevent consumers from piling up debt

A man poses for a photograph with the online gambling website Bet365 displayed on a smartphone. (AFP PHOTO)

Britain's 24 million adult gamblers will not be able to use credit cards to gamble under a new rule designed to prevent consumers from building up too much debt.

The Gambling Commission said on Tuesday the ban, which comes into effect on April 14 2020, will apply to all online and offline gambling products apart from 'non-remote lotteries' - lotteries where payment is made face-to-face.

Research by the commission classes 22% of online gamblers who use credit cards as "problem gamblers".

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