The Bank of Ireland (BoI) has launched its Gambling Block tool in support of the country’s new gambling regulatory regime led by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).
It’s a step that comes amid mounting concern over increased online betting, especially among young adults, and coincides with a wider campaign led by the GRAI to promote financial safeguards across the banking sector.
The newly launched tool allows BoI customers to request a block that will prevent transactions with gambling operators, including online casinos, lotteries, and betting sites.
The blocking service is available for both personal and business debit cards, with plans to extend it to credit cards in the coming months. Customers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland can activate the block via dedicated helplines or through the bank’s website.
According to the bank’s own analysis of Q1 2025 card spending, 90% of gambling transactions now occur online, and 99% are funded via debit cards. Despite a slight overall decline in gambling spend year-on-year (-2%), the data highlights a 19% surge in activity among 18 to 25-year-olds, while gambling by over-65s dropped by 8%. A significant 71% of bets in the first quarter were placed by men.
The timing of the initiative coincides with peak betting periods driven by events such as the Cheltenham Festival and the Six Nations, which saw gambling activity increase sharply in counties Wicklow (+37%), Kilkenny (+24%), Limerick (+20%), and Laois (+17%).
Áine McCleary, Chief Customer Officer at Bank of Ireland, framed the new feature as a vital tool in promoting customer wellbeing. “Problem gambling can have a devastating effect not just on the person involved, but also on families, friends and loved ones,”
“For those with a gambling addiction it can often seem like help is out of reach. This initiative we are launching is designed to help customers take positive steps to improve control over their finances.”
BoI joins AIB, EBS, and digital bank Revolut in offering gambling blocks, part of a growing movement among Irish banks to address gambling harm through consumer protections.
The GRAI has played a central role in pushing for the adoption of such tools, having engaged in recent months with the Irish Banking Culture Board, the Banking and Payments Federation, and individual banks. The regulator has praised Bank of Ireland’s decision as a “welcome and necessary step” and encouraged remaining lenders to follow suit.
“This means that Bank of Ireland now joins AIB, EBS and Revolut in offering their customers this gambling blocking facility,” said the GRAI in a statement. “We expect that other main banks will also offer this facility in the future.”
In tandem, the GRAI is developing a National Gambling Exclusion Register, to enable individuals to self-exclude from all licensed operators in one action. The register, still under technical development, will be mandatory for all online gambling licensees to interact with as a principal project of the GRAI.
The regulator is also promoting a wider set of tools to reduce gambling harm, including software-based blocks and restrictions on advertising exposure.
As online gambling becomes increasingly accessible, particularly to younger demographics, financial institutions and regulators alike are being called upon to provide greater consumer protections. With more banks likely to follow, Ireland’s financial sector appears poised to play a central role in tackling gambling addiction.
