Great Block! Sports fans urged to make use of their in app gambling freeze feature

With millions of football fans cheering on their teams, HSBC UK has urged customers who may be struggling with gambling pressures to make use of the gambling freeze on their mobile banking app, after the last major tournament saw customer gambling transactions increase by 7% compared to the month before it started.¹

The HSBC gambling freeze offers a 72 hour cooling off period after it is removed, meaning customers cannot place a bet for those 72 hours. But when the freeze is in place it applies to transactions made online, point-of-sale, contactless, and digital wallets.

According to the bank’s own internal data, 56% of those who had enabled the gambling freeze on their mobile app, kept it on throughout the duration of the last international football tournament in which England featured in 2022. Meanwhile, data from the first two week’s of this summer’s European football tournament, found that 60% of customers who had enabled their gambling block have so far left it on.¹

Maxine Pritchard, Head of Financial Inclusion and Vulnerability at HSBC UK said: “Millions of people enjoy betting on sport and responsible gambling is important. Big, emotive sporting events can lead to impulsive decisions and bets customers may not be able to afford.

“We are committed to supporting our customers through such times. Our gambling freeze feature is just one of the measures we have in place to help customers getting into difficulties.

“We encourage everyone to think twice before switching off the freeze, stay within their spending limits and make use of our support facilities if needed. If you’re feeling vulnerable or struggling to manage your finances, we encourage you to reach out to us – we’re always here to help.”

Recent research from NHS England found that 2.8% of adults were identified as engaging in at-risk or problem gambling, with 0.3% classified as problem gamblers.²

While people who had gambled and spent money on four or more different gambling activities within 12 months were more likely to engage in at-risk or problem gambling (27.8%) than those who gambled on two or three different activities (4.6%) or only one activity (1.6%).²

The same study also found that men were more likely to be identified as engaging in at-risk or problem gambling than women (4.4% of men and 1.1% of women)², this gender distribution was reflected in HSBC UK’s internal data, which found 40% of women and 60% of male customers were spending money on gambling.¹

Hannah Bateson, Behavioural Architect at Cowry Consulting said: “When people who gamble are in these highly emotional states, any small inclination towards a win leads to overconfidence. This gets the best of their impulse control, and it doesn’t help that betting during these socially celebrated events has become the norm.

“Cowry Consulting’s work with HSBC UK looked to understand which kinds of messages, varied in content, tone, timing, delivered through specific channels - online, app, SMS - would be most effective at encouraging the use of the gambling freeze for different customers. We tailored messages to their mindsets, attitudes and emotions. For gamblers at different risk levels, it’s all the more important to make sure the right message lands at the right time, in order for the right customer to feel motivated to act.”

HSBC UK offers a range of support for customers who might be vulnerable to overspending on gambling. For example, the gambling freeze feature enables customers to add and remove restrictions on their debit cards, preventing transactions with gambling-related merchants.

Other support facilities include:

• ATM limits: Customers can set an ATM limit on their debit card to reduce the amount of cash they can withdraw, helping to control spending.
• Auto-Refer and Auto-Decline Markers: These care markers allow customers to reduce the risk of gambling-related borrowing requests by adding either an auto-refer or auto-decline lending marker to their account. This is particularly helpful for impulsive individuals or victims of abuse.
• Credit Card Blocks: Since April 2020, credit card transactions for gambling purposes have been declined, in line with the ban for UK-licensed gambling operators.

Raminta Diliso, Project Manager (Gambling Related Financial Harm) at GamCare, said: “Big sporting events can be triggering for people already experiencing gambling-related financial harm. That’s why gambling freezes, such as the one offered by HSBC UK, are a great way to stop gambling transactions on your debit card.”

“There are other free tools available to help you stop gambling such as through TalkBanStop.com, where you can register with GAMSTOP to exclude yourself from all UK gambling websites and apps.

“You can also download free Gamban software to block global gambling apps and websites on up to 15 of your devices, as well as speaking to GamCare for support, advice and treatment referrals.”

Media enquiries to:

Becky Hume +44 (0)7387 246305 becky.louise.hume@hsbc.com

Email: UKPressOffice@hsbc.co.uk