According to the Irish Independent, William Hill will begin prohibiting the use of credit cards for online betting in Ireland on Wednesday, effective immediately.
Several major betting companies, on the other hand, continue to accept credit card payments directly in Ireland, which is in violation of the Irish Safer Gambling Code. Others who claim to not accept credit card wagers are reportedly doing so indirectly, through apps such as Revolut and Apple Pay, according to reports.
The head of the Irish Bookmakers Association - the authority behind setting the anti-credit card rules in the country - says it doesn’t have the power to sanction credit card gambling, because the issue has not been formally outlawed by the Irish Government.
In Ireland, the Irish Government is expected to introduce a new gambling regulator with the authority to fine betting companies that violate the law. However, this regulator is not expected to be implemented until either the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023, depending on when the Irish elections are held. According to reports, credit card betting will be among the measures that will be prohibited.
Recently, both Apple and Google released a measure to prevent credit card gambling through mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, but a small number of local betting companies have chosen to ignore this measure in favor of continuing to accept credit cards.
In October of last year, the Irish Times reported that free bets will be prohibited in Ireland as part of the new gambling laws, with the regulator given the authority to revoke or suspend gambling licenses if they are not followed. It will also have the ability to freeze accounts and prevent incoming payments from reaching service providers.
By fLEXI tEAM
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