All Bookmakers must make sure that the Card payment machine they are using blocks accepting Credit Card payments. As it is their responsibility not to accept payment for a bet placed with them from a Credit Card.

Best Practice advise for use of Debit Card machines.

Make sure your Debit Card payment provider is fully aware of the sector you work in i.e., the gambling industry, and that your Debit Card payment provider is happy for you to be accepting payment from the public making payment for gambling bets using their Debit Cards.

Have an agreement that your Debit Card payment provider can block anyone trying to make payment for a bet using a Credit Card. If you are using a Debit Card payment provider who does not have this facility in place you are liable for the consequences of taking a bet paid for by a Credit Card. As the use of phone wallets on peoples phones has become much more used to pay for transactions. This makes the risk of someone placing a bet using a Credit Card a much greater risk. As you will be unaware of type of card as you will not be able to see a card. If your Debit Card provider does not specialise in this sector you are at risk of been caught processing a bet using a Credit Card and will face prosecution for this from the Gambling Commission.

We would advise that no bookmaker lends his Debit Card payment machine to another bookmaker to be able to use at any time. On a day a bookmaker is not working, and another bookmaker asks can he use the other bookmakers Debit Card payment machine to be able to accept Debit Card payments we strongly advise that this practice does not happen.

Reasons for not sharing Debit Card machines.

  1. You could lose your licence with the Gambling Commission.

  2. Your bank/GC could see this as Money Laundering.

  3. It breaches your contract with your Debit Card machine provider.

  4. The person placing a bet using the debit card will see a different name than that of the person he placed bet with and can report transaction as fraudulent.

  5. Debit Card provider will refund all transactions to clients who placed bets.

  6. The Debit Card provider will probably remove the machine from bookmaker for breaching their contract with them.

  7. With so few Debit Card providers willing to accept betting transaction you risk whole sector being black listed for breaching contract with your Debit Card provider for lending to another bookmaker.

If anyone needs to apply for a Debit Card provider, we recommend AIBMS. AIBMS specialise in betting transactions, so they have a detailed knowledge of the betting sector.

If anyone requires any more information or advice they can contact the office and request more information.