We teamed up with TrueLayer to build an Open Banking powered gambling block

Monzo Chat News & Updates
#1

Previously, our gambling block allowed our customers to opt-in to prevent primarily card payments to gambling firms in the UK (plus bank transfers, for the firms we had the bank details of!).

But, with more and more gambling providers offering open banking powered payments in the UK, we worked to pilot an extension. TrueLayer are the biggest Open Banking payment provider in the UK and have a number of big name gambling clients - Smarkets, LeoVegas etc - and now, our customers with the gambling block turned on will be unable to make Open Banking payments to them.

You can read more about it on our blog.

This is part of our wider campaign to improve access to, and the functionality of, gambling blocks in the UK. You can read more about that and sign the open letter here

24 Likes
#2

A great move and one that can hopefully help improve people’s lives considerably.

EDIT: I’ve signed the open letter form too.

3 Likes
#3

This is exceptional, well done @albertmonzo and team.

Now, TrueLayer will automatically let Monzo know, via an enhanced API call, any time their customer attempts an open banking payment to a gambling firm specifically. This additional data access lets Monzo stop the payment on the customers’ behalf if they have their gambling block activated.

This is a relatively straightforward change that Monzo and TrueLayer engineers were able to build in a few days. But it could make a huge difference for those struggling with gambing addiction!

(Emphasis mine)

This is what I love to see. Nimble organisations seeing an opportunity and delivering it quickly.

More of that please! :clap:

5 Likes
#4

good campaign …signed

3 Likes
#5

@albertmonzo extremely impressed with this and have signed the open letter.

2 Likes
#6

@albertmonzo

I like the idea, but you need to work with the big companies Smarkets and LeoGaming are not big…

Also

How will this affect incoming payments from Gambling companies, for those who work for them, and get their salaries paid into Monzo Accounts, but have the Gambling block turned on??

Please tell me Monzo are not working on blocking incoming payments from these companies as well ??

#7

@mozzauk

TrueLayer is one of the biggest Open Banking payment providers in the UK. This will cover all of their clients. If you know of any bigger gambling site offering Open Banking payments please do let us know!

As for incoming payments, these are out of scope. The block only works with outgoing payments.

3 Likes
#8

Thats good to know phew… :slight_smile:

#9

Phew too… I’d hate to miss out on the incoming win of £millions from The National Lottery this weekend because of a gambling block :scream:

3 Likes
#10

Surely you’re giving up though, with the block…

:kissing_cat:

1 Like
#11

I worked with netent and I can confirm it was only outgoing payments that got blocked. We could still successfully send payments to customers.