Block gambling transactions from your Monzo account

Last month we explained we’d started work on a feature that helps support people to self-exclude from gambling.

We’ve been testing it since then and we’re happy to say it’s now in the apps.

Thanks to everyone who’s shared their thoughts, ideas and experiences with us already :heart:

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I’d like to see on the ‘Block gambling transactions’ screen a little summary such as ‘In the last 6 months, the following transactions were classified as gambling related…[list]’: I suspect the National Lottery is classed as gambling, but not 100% certain.

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You missed a step out on how to enable it! :blush: After clicking settings you need to click “Spending Limits” then “Controls”! :slight_smile:

Awesome feature though! :monzo:

I think the gambling block should have a configurable limit per month rather than simply an on/off block.

Sometimes you might not expect a major sports event on which you’d like to gamble and by the time you realise the block and 48 hour delay will make you miss the game. A limit would instead allow you to gamble should you want to while still preventing you from betting more than you can afford to loose.

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Great news, I can personal say the feature works! Not only as a great blocker, but as a reminder/‘deterrent’ for anyone who might feel they have any gambling issues, or not want to even try!

Can I also highly recommend the following site : https://www.gamstop.co.uk/
It has a very fast growing list of online gambling sites which will automatic self exclude users by signing up to the page.

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Thanks Josh! Fixed! :hammer_and_wrench:

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Seems too easy to circumvent to be useful

I thought the same initially, so I reached out to support and also asked for a cash withdrawal limit change, as I really have gone “cashless” and set my max to £20 a day. If somebody has an issue and feels they need additional support or steps, I am pretty confident Monzo would listen and help this person individually.

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I’m just thinking that if, for example the Monzo card stopped me buying cigarettes because I didn’t want to smoke and then one day my will power gives or I just think “sod it” I could easily just transfer money onto another card within second, not to mention all the other options that ultimately end in me getting my own way but I do think its great Monzo is considering this stuff and if it helps people then all the better.

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Out of curiosity, how does the decline appear to the merchant?

I only ask because I just tested it with a lottery top up, and it didn’t say it was declined - it said something had gone wrong and that it was a temporary issue…

Liam

Unfortunately that would be one of side affects of being an addict of any sort, and that person would either need to work their own Steps, get support or find a way around that. Monzo has got that reflection time often needed to get past that 5 minute urge to gamble, as all the additional steps you would need to do before you place the bet might be enough time to control yourself.

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Monzo have mentioned this before and they know it’s not perfect. It’s about adding “positive friction” so hopefully in those few seconds of unlocking your phone, opening Monzo, and then doing a transaction that you consider what you’re doing.

I would like to see if once you activate the feature if Monzo provides links to the Gambling hotlines and charities to help assist people further.

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I love this feature, I was initially worried I could turn it on and off myself but looks like you need to speak to customer services to unblock, good stuff.

I know it won’t stopped a determined individual but every step helps and I’m sure Monzo are looking to how they can do more.

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Thanks for this feedback! We currently signpost our customers to free advice & support in conversation, but we are looking at if and how we might integrate a form of signposting or support through an action like turning the gambling block on :blush:

If you have any ideas around this, we’d love to hear them!

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This is an awesome feature - not least because I never gamble, so I’ve just turned it on as one extra fraud prevention measure!
It’s heartening to see Monzo thinking about things like this, both from the perspective that gambling can easily become an addiction that ruins lives so it has a real human impact, but also from the business perspective that people with gambling problems don’t necessarily make good customers, so Monzo is doing something smart by protecting themselves against that too. Ultimately it feels like Monzo has figured out (on a number of different fronts) that the goal of both them and their customers is for their customers to have money, and to have money you need to be as good at managing it as possible, so everything Monzo does to help people be more responsible makes the customers happier people and makes them better customers. Ethics really can be a win-win!

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Extra level of security for all the non-gamblers, great feature!

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It’s interesting to see what’s mentioned here about gambling and self-exclusion, as I am trying to develop a charitable “Do-naid” site for fundraising for worthy causes with an element of ‘winning’ involved. Much like the National Lottery, Scratchcards, and Sweepstakes, where there are cash prizes involved. But I’m searching for another term to use other than Gambling! Do the readers of this thread see such activities as Gambling, Charitable Giving, e-Donating or something else? I would love to receive any comments relating to our plans as hopefully, Monzo would be the transactional device for making it all happen!

Any element of “winning” makes it gambling, not only in my opinion but also probably in Law too. Just finding an alternative name for it does not alter what it is. An elephant is still an elephant even if you call it a mouse.

Lotteries and Raffles have different Laws, so maybe there is some way to avoid it coming under gambling Laws?

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For me, the less skill required to win cash, the more like gambling it becomes. So a lottery is pure gambling, sports betting a little less so, and a game of darts (or any other game of skill for money) even less again.

What you are suggesting sounds like a lottery to me. In fact, it sounds quite a lot like The Lottery.

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I have enabled this because I don’t gamble and don’t want to accidentally gamble.

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