William Hill, a gaming provider, has moved to prohibit credit card payments in the Republic of Ireland starting February 16. 

William Hill removes credit card payment option

The Irish Bookmakers Association now discourages the use of credit cards for online casino and sports betting purposes within the country as part of the Irish Safer Gambling Code, which will be implemented in August 2021.

According to the Irish Independent, a William Hill representative claimed, It is their ambition that no one is injured by gambling, and they are contacting you to inform you that they would be voluntarily discontinuing credit card deposits.

The IBA, however, told the Irish Independent that it has the authority to discipline rule violators on its anti-credit card rules because the Irish government has not legally forbidden the payment method.

The restriction comes just weeks after an Irish news outlet reported that numerous betting businesses are still accepting credit card payments indirectly using Apple Pay and Revolut. Additionally, the report states that, despite the fact that Google and Apple-supplied a facility for betting organizations to block credit card payments, “at least one” operator has purposefully evaded the procedure.

Regulatory Reform

The news comes as Irish legislators prepare to reform the country’s regulatory system for the first time since 1956 in 2021, following the passage of the Interim Gaming and Lotteries Act. Changes anticipated include the restriction of credit card payments and the suspected prohibition of free bets, as well as the establishment of a national gaming regulator. However, the revamp has been frequently delayed, most recently in 2020 in response to the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, with new legal precedents and the foundation of a regulatory body not expected until later this year or possibly 2023.