AmEx And Citigroup Ban UK Customers From Using Credit Cards For Online Gambling

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

27 October 2004

The Times reported last week that American Express and Citigroup have barred their customers from using credit cards issued by the firms to access online gambling services.

This is the first time that such a ban has been imposed in the United Kingdom, although speaking to the Times, an AmEx spokeswoman revealed that it is part of a blanket policy imposed in 2000 that the firm will not deal with online casinos or pornography providers.

Citigroup, meanwhile, revealed that it had reached the decision to impose a ban following a similar move by its Citibank operation in the United States.

Both firms told the newspaper that they had no intention of removing the ban when the controversial Gambling Bill comes into force, and observers have suggested that other banks may follow suit, compounding the government's embarrassment over the legislation.

On Monday, the Times reported that owners of large US casinos looking to locate in the UK had been promised that the tax on gaming would be cut from 40% to between 15% and 20%, but that Chancellor Gordon Brown was unaware that such an offer had been made.

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