Bank gambling blocks · United Kingdom

Block gambling on your
Starling Bank card.

How to stop Starling Bank paying gambling sites and shops, and what to expect when you try to turn it off.

If it's pulling hard right now: National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7).

← All banks in the UK

How to switch it on

Go to the Cards section of the app
Under your main physical card, select Gambling controls
Select Turn on the gambling block
Follow the steps to turn on the block

What it covers

Main physical debit card; always on for virtual cards, teen accounts and Under 16s Spaces.

Bank transfers

It blocks card payments only. Bank transfers to gambling companies still go through, so keep an eye on those.

Turning it off again

48 hours before the block is removed; cannot be sped up or changed.

That delay is the point: an urge lasts minutes, the wait lasts longer.

Where it can miss

Only blocks businesses that categorise themselves as gambling operators; some payments may get through, especially using account number and sort code; lottery tickets at supermarkets still go through; no refunds for payments that get through

Verified October 2026 from help.starlingbank.com. Things change: if a step is out of date, tell us at hello@youvsthehouse.com and we'll re-check it.

Belt and braces

A bank block stops this card. It doesn't stop a second card, a wallet, the sites or the apps. Add self-exclusion in the UK and a blocker on the phone.

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