Daily Archives: February 20, 2021

Cam Adair was so deep into his video gaming addiction, he says it almost killed him.

"I was young. I probably played like 16 hours a day, all day, every day. I dropped out of high school twice, I pretended to have jobs and deceived my family. I got to a point where I wrote a suicide note. And it was kind of that night when I realized I needed to make a change."

Today, after years of counseling, Adair is alive and well and the founder of Game Quitters.

Alex Kearns, a 20-year-old customer of the trading app Robinhood wasn't so lucky. He took his life last summer after believing he had racked up a loss of $730,000 on Robinhood.

His parents lay the blame squarely on the investing company, pointing out Kearns tried multiple times to get help on a customer service line, to no avail. Kearns' family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Robinhood.

At a House Financial Services Committee hearing Thursday, Robinhood's CEO, Vlad Tenev, said, "The passing of Mr. Kearns was deeply troubling to me and to the entire company, and we have vowed to take a series of steps, very aggressive steps to make our options product safer for our customers."

Lawmakers are asking tough questions about the fairness of the platforms and the allure of the apps

"Is retail individual retail participation in the marketplace gambling?" asked U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., at the hearing Thursday.

The resounding answer from those with a vested interest in avoiding gambling's bad rap and burdensome, costly regulation was a resounding "No."

Tenev disputed the gamification of Robinhood saying, "We know that investing is serious, and we're investing in all of the educational tools and customer support to help people on their investing journey."

"I believe the vast majority of retail participation are people saving to meet their dreams," said Ken Griffin, CEO of hedge fund Citadel.

"Investors are able to participate in the market just as insitations are able to participate," said Reddit trader Keith Gill, who was pushing GameStop's potential as the stock soared from $18 around New Year's Day to more $480 later in January.

But experts in gambling addiction categorically disagree. "Investing whether it's on the stock market through, you know hedge funds, doing derivatives or whatever, is that this is actually a form of gambling," said Mark Griffiths, a behavioral addiction professor at Nottingham Trent University in the U.K.

And investing is beginning to look and sound more and more like gambling and video gaming. For instance, video game Space Shooters gives away free treasures. Sports gambling platform FanDuel offers free bet insurance and Robinhood gives away free stock.

"When I watch, for instance, a video game player and somebody playing a slot machine, behaviorally and psychologically, that they're acting in almost entirely the same way. The only difference is that the video game players are using points to keep score, whereas gamblers, you know, using the kind of how much they've won and lost as a way of keeping score," Griffiths said.

He has studied addictive behaviors for years and works as a consultant to companies like Entain, a U.K.-based gaming company that co-owns BetMGM with MGM Resorts. Entain is launching a comprehensive initiative to address problem video gaming and esports.

Entain and other casinos like MGM and Caesars are recognized within the industry for the leadership on problem gambling. But gaming regulators require companies to shoulder responsibility to varying degrees for initiatives against problem gambling.

"The gambling industry has realized that problem gamblers are not good for your long-term business, because they have a short shelf life," said Griffiths.

The betting companies see that it boosts the bottom line in the long run, but it may also forestall costly regulation.

In the U.K., regulators now require gambling companies to use the data they collect on their players to identify markers of harm, like significant changes in betting behavior. Informed user consent technology gives specific feedback to help players make decisions that are more advantageous to them.

'What you're seeing from both investing to gambling to gaming are these industries really trying to learn from each other," said Adair. "One of the biggest ways that they've done that is by increasing accessibility, making it easy to engage in their products and easy to spend money."

For Adair who travels the world to talk to students and parents about the dangers of addictive behaviors, education is crucial. "I think we need to pay a lot more attention to this."

Disclosure: CNBC parent Comcast and NBC Sports are investors in FanDuel.

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What Robinhood could learn from gaming companies about gambling addiction - CNBC

Over the course of the last 30-plus years, there have been a lot of gambling bills roll through the Alabama Legislature. Very few of those bills had a prayer of passing. Exactly zero bills that would expand gaming statewide, legalize casino gaming and/or implement a lottery have passed.

One of the many failed attempts came last year when the Poarch Band of Creek Indians offered the state a billion-dollar deal, promising to pony up $1 billion in payments to Alabama initially, and then make annual payments, for a plan that would have essentially given the tribe a monopoly and shut down all other venues immediately.

A billion dollars we thought that was a pretty fair deal, offering a billion dollars, said Wind Creek Gaming vice president of development and governmental relations Arthur Mothershed, with a chuckle. It didnt get any traction in the Legislature.

Mothershed and Wind Creek CEO Jay Dorris, along with David Johnston, the longtime attorney for VictoryLand and the Birmingham Race Course, joined the Alabama Politics This Week podcast to discuss in depth the states latest attempt at gambling legislation.

The primary reason the Poarch Creeks proposal failed last year was that it received significant pushback from lawmakers who represented areas of the state where current dog tracks, which are operating electronic bingo machines and other forms of gaming, are currently supplying tax dollars and jobs to very poor communities. Combine their resistance with the lawmakers who flatly oppose gambling regardless a dwindling but still potent number and the odds of passing gaming legislation, particularly through Alabamas House of Representatives, becomes nearly impossible.

So, tribal leaders and the track owners tried something that theyve never tried before: compromise.

Starting a little more than a year ago, the informal chats began. Just friendly banter, tossing around ideas, seeing what might work, making suggestions and changes. Slowly, a grand idea began to take shape.

The tribe could get full gaming at all three locations and a new location in the northeastern part of the state, plus theyd still maintain control of the Mobile Greyhound Park, which also would be allowed to operate a full casino. The tracks VictoryLand, the Birmingham Race Course and GreeneTrack would also get to operate full casinos.

What weve been trying wasnt working, Dorris said. At some point, it just made sense to start over and try something different. (The tracks) were trying things, we were trying things, and nothing was getting through the Legislature.

Mothershed added: (The lawmakers) said to sit down and talk to the other operators and thats what we did. We worked this out something we can live with, something they can live with. Its not a big fight amongst all of us. Weve worked things out.

The result of the compromise, of course, was at least the skeleton of the bill that was introduced in the state senate two weeks ago by Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston. In addition to the full gaming at the eight locations mentioned previously, there will also be sports wagering at all sites and a statewide lottery.

We feel like its an excellent bill that is, quite frankly, hard to criticize, said Johnston, who has represented VictoryLand since it opened in 1983. Sen. Marshs bill treats everyone fairly, and thats all weve ever asked.

Not everyone is in agreement. Late last week attack ads started popping up in various media outlets and lobbyists started emailing talking points out to reporters to criticize the bill. Most of that effort was paid for by small electronic bingo operators in Greene County and out-of-state parties.

In prior gambling expansion efforts, casino owners in Mississippi dumped huge amounts of money into Alabama to stop legislation. It worked each time.

This time, though, feels different to Johnston.

I just think the people of this state are tired of seeing their tax dollars head off to other states and theyve wised up about this, Johnston said. I think peoples mindset on this issue are greatly different than what they were in the past, and Id predict better than 70 percent would vote for this legislation if we put it on a ballot.

To underscore that theory, the attack ads arent going after the moral or ethical issues related to gambling. Instead, those attacks claim that the McGregor family, which owns a majority stake in VictoryLand and the Birmingham Race Course, plans to sell out to the Poarch Creeks after the deal is done, giving the tribe a gaming monopoly in the state.

That doesnt make any sense, because the tribe already has a monopoly in the state, Johnston said. Milton McGregor owned VictoryLand since 1983 and the Birmingham Race Course since 1992, and before he passed away he had groomed his son-in-law Lewis Benefield to take over, and hes done just an outstanding job. The McGregors could have sold out many times over the years. They had the offers to do so. They never have and thats not the mindset now.

You can listen to more of these interviews at the Alabama Politics This Week website or by subscribing to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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How a change in tactics led to a grand new gambling deal - alreporter.com

Posted: Feb 19, 2021 / 04:08 PM EST / Updated: Feb 20, 2021 / 09:29 AM EST

FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) Five men pleaded guilty on Friday to running an illegal gambling operation in Florence County.

The five men are among nine people named in a federalindictmentthat details their alleged involvement in an illegal gambling business that generated around $2,000 in a single day.

Tyrone Eaddy, Kenneth Moore, George Dollard, Cliff Cantey and Leroy Barbouradmitted in federal court that they unlawfully and knowingly did conduct, finance, manage, supervise, direct, and own an illegal gambling business.

The penalty under their plea deal is a fine of $250,000, imprisonment of not more than five years, supervised release of not more than three years, a small special assessment and restitution to any victims identified by the court.

Among the four others indicted in the operation are ex- Florence County Lt. Mark Fuleihan and ex-Florence deputyTimothy Keefe. They both filed for a continuance along with Sheryl Kirby and Dale Smith, who also were indicted.

Aside from this indictment, Fuleihan also faces federal obstruction charges and an ethics bribery charge. The former Lieutenant was fired from the Florence County Sheriffs Office on April 2, the same day as his arrest.

According to the criminal complaint, Fuleihan had three illegal gambling machines in his garage in 2015 and also took an illegal gambling machine from the Florence County Sheriffs Office (FCSO) evidence building and delivered it to a co-conspirator, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint states on several occasions, Fuleihan would seize illegal gambling machines from this source and give them to a co-conspirator.

The source said at one point, Fuleihan seized machines from him/her in Lake City, and then a couple of weeks later the source saw the same machines in a location in Johnsonville, being operated by the co-conspirator.

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5 men plead guilty to running illegal gambling operation in Florence - WBTW

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Letter to the editor: Where is the gambling money going? - TribLIVE

The 2021 legislative session has begun. It will be a monumental and difficult session. Due to COVID restrictions, the logistics of just meeting will be a task. House members will be spread out all over the Statehouse to adhere to distancing requirements. It is still uncertain as to how the Press and lobbyists accommodations will be handled.

A new virtual voting console system has been installed to allow for House members to vote since all will not be on the House floor. There are a myriad of issues that have to be addressed. Last years session was abbreviated and adjourned before the halfway point due to the pandemic outbreak. Therefore, it has been almost a year since the legislature has met.

There are hundreds of local bills that have to be addressed for cities and counties. Alabamas archaic constitution does not allow for home rule. All power rests with the legislature. Therefore, local governments have to come with hat-in-hand to the legislature to make vital decisions.

The paramount issues will be reapportionment, gambling and prisons.

The major issue facing the legislature is the Tar Baby known as the prison problem. The governor and legislature have been grappling with the prison problem for several years. Given the legislative absence, Governor Ivey has made executive decisions that some legislators are not totally enthralled with, especially regarding prisons.

The Governor thought they were on course to addressing the states overcrowded, understaffed, and violent state prisons. However, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state in the U.S. District Court in Birmingham in December. The suit alleges that Alabama violates the constitutional rights of prisoners by failure to protect them from assaults and abuse from other inmates, excessive force by correctional officers, and failure to provide safe and sanitary conditions.

This litigation is not unique to Alabama. The Justice Department has made a practice of overshadowing state prisons. Other states have been sued over similar situations. Overcrowding seems to be the over-riding culprit. Federal Courts have ordered states to reduce their prison populations because of overcrowding. California was given this mandate.

Alabama prisons hold more than 15,000 prisoners in facilities designed for fewer than 10,000. Governor Ivey has proposed building three mens prisons and replacing many of the 13 current prisons. She faces contention and opposition from legislators on this issue. She now will have another Big Brother looking over her shoulder, the U.S. Justice Department and the federal courts.

Governor Iveys response to the federal suit is that it is premature and the state has been striving to resolve the crisis. Indeed, the Legislature and the Alabama Department of Corrections has stepped up recruiting of correctional officers and increased pay and bonuses to address the staff shortage. It has cracked down on contraband with a program called Restore Order, which uses predawn raids by law enforcement officers to search for weapons, drugs, cell phones and other prohibited items.

Gov. Ivey said the new prisons will have better security and better technology and will allow for more education and rehabilitation programs. The new prisons will also allow for modern surveillance cameras and convex mirrors that can detect violence problems.

Hopefully, the Governor and Legislature will address the omnipresent issue of gambling. Alabama has grappled with gaming for decades. Most of the concentration has focused on whether or not to have a state lottery. While we sat idly by and twiddled our thumbs, every other state in America except the Mormon state of Utah has created a lottery and more. Every state around us, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi have lotteries. Mississippi funds their entire government to a large degree by every form of gambling imaginable.

In the face of honesty and fairness, the legislature should clarify and rectify the wrong done to the gaming centers at Macon and Greene counties. The citizens of these two Black Belt counties legally and rightfully voted for a Constitutional Amendment to allow them to have gambling and electronic bingo. It is a flagrant disregard of the Constitution for their facilities to be thwarted in their efforts to proceed with their rights and ability to supplement their countys needs.

The legislature will need to remove the stranglehold and monopoly that the Indian Gambling Syndicate has on our state in order to proceed with allowing people to vote on gaming.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabamas leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the legislature. Steve may be reached at steveflowers.us.

Originally posted here:

Reapportionment, gambling and prisons top priorities - The Troy Messenger - Troy Messenger

Gambling sponsorship in European football is rife. In fact, there are more betting companies on the front of team shirts in the top two leagues of English football than not. These companies are well-matched sponsors for football teams because they bring in lots of revenue for the clubs, which goes towards funding the professional game and trickles down into community initiatives. The relationship also helps the gambling sponsors by targeting a demographic that is known to enjoy casino games, and of course, sports betting.

But this flourishing relationship may be about to be broken up. There are some calls for this type of sponsorship to be banned from the beautiful game. So, is there a cause for concern?

Gambling Companies Neednt Worry

According to the marketing manager at PartyCasino, their mobile gambling site, which is one of the most popular in the UK, has seen record months and shows no sign of falling. It suggests that betting companies are not expected to lose too much sleep if they are kicked out of the picture in elite-level football.

Gambling from a mobile device has increased exponentially since the events of 2020 and bricks, and mortar casino had to shut their doors. These casinos have captured a new market that may not have started using online bookmakers and casinos otherwise. And this is why experts believe online casinos are set to dominate the market.

There is no question that football sponsorship deals are good business for casinos and sports bookmakers, but there are not the be-all and end-all of their operations.

Why Do Some Want Gambling Sponsorship Banned?

Gambling companies have to jump through a lot of hoops when advertising their products and services in the UK. The best online casinos and bookmakers recognise the importance of stringent regulations to keep people safe and protected and are thus more than willing to cooperate.

Yet, there are some calls from activist groups and government officials to have this form of sponsorship removed from English football. In July 2020, a government committee recommended the ban, following on from reports in Spain that could see the end of gambling companies appearing on La Liga team shorts.

The main concern is that football is enjoyed by vulnerable peoples and young people not yet of legal age to gamble. These groups are then exposed to gambling companies and potentially enticed to play. Rules are already in place by The UK Gambling Commission to prevent advertisements to young people. So, does sponsorship fall within this bracket?

When Would a Ban Come into Force?

The committee that advised on the ban in July 2020 believes if the ban was to be implemented, it would only do so until 2023. And the ban is not said to affect Premier League clubs until even later. It will give gambling companies plenty of time to look for other sponsorship opportunities, possibly in other mainstream sports.

Link:

As football looks to drop gambling sponsors, is there a cause for worry? | LondonDailyPost.com - London Daily Post

Gambling is an activity that we all do from time to time. Maybe you once bought a scratch-off lottery ticket or wanted to take a cool trip to Vegas. Even outside of the lottery or a casino, many of us take risks in order to gain something bigger.

However, this can become an addiction that can ruin ones marriage and life in general. Lets talk about compulsive gambling, also known as a gambling addiction.

Gambling addiction is when you have a compulsion to gamble that is uncontrollable. Like other addictions, gambling can stimulate the part of your brain thats associated with rewards. If you win something, it feels good. Or, the rush you feel gambling, in general, can feel like a reward. However, your brain cant stop craving it, and this can lead to pure addiction.

A gambling addict is unable to stop, even if they are in the red. It is easy to see how this can lead to life problems, from losing too much money to having to resort to stealing to feed the addiction.

Anyone can be a gambling addict, but for most people, they may play the slots every now and again but otherwise remain financially stable. However, there are certain people who may be at risk, including:

If you are younger, youre more at risk, especially as a child or teen. Its one of the reasons why you have to be 21 to gamble in many places.

However, middle-aged people tend to have an addiction as well. This can be due to a mid-life crisis or just having more time compared to young adults.

A man tends to have a higher chance of being a problem gambler compared to a woman. However, women can become addicted faster, so it does depend.

Depression, substance abuse issues, and anxiety are just some disorders that are associated with gambling addiction. Also, the addiction can worsen those conditions and feed into them. You may gamble due to depression, then feel more depressed if you lose money.

If you have a family history or friend history of gambling issues, this can also increase your chances. Also, people who have certain personalities, such as someone who gets bored easily or someone who is naturally a risky person.

Of course, the line between someone who likes to gamble and an addict can be blurry. Thats why its important to spot some of the symptoms of gambling. These include:

If youre always thinking about gambling and the thoughts cant go away, then you may have an addiction.

A casual gambler tends to have a limit. If they lose so much, they stop doing it.

However, an addict has to win it all back. They keep playing to win back their losses. Sometimes, they may win it back, but then lose it all trying to win more. It can be a tough cycle, especially as someone loses more and more money.

If you try to cut back, it makes you feel uneasy. Just like drug addiction, you may be unable to cut back without rushing back to the casino.

If your spouse tells you to stop and you dont, youre willing to risk your marriage to gamble. If youre someone who passes job opportunities to gamble, this is yet another issue that you may experience. You may avoid other life obligations to gamble, causing you several different issues in the process.

You know you have a serious gambling addiction if its ruining your life. In extreme cases, a person may risk their health, relationship, finances, or even risk getting arrested to feed the gambling beast.

Just like any other addiction, gambling addiction tends to be treated through a combination of medication, therapy, and self-responsibility.

For example, there are mood stabilizers you can take to reduce your chances of giving in. Meanwhile, learning cognitive behavioral therapy can help you break the chain between thoughts about gambling and actions.

Just like most addictions, a compulsive gambler may be unable to do it casually and may need to avoid casinos or anything that could trigger a relapse.

Of course, the first step to any addiction is realizing you have a problem. If people who love you have pointed out your addiction, it is time to listen. Meanwhile, you may be able to seek help by getting diagnosed. An online diagnosis can tell you if you have an addiction, and then you can take the next steps. Click this link below for more information on addiction.

https://www.mind-diagnostics.org/blog/gambling-addiction

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Let's Talk About Gambling Addiction - The Good Men Project

A growing number of Japanese are illegally gambling online, lured by social media campaigns and assurances from overseas websites that they can avoid arrest for their illicit bets.

Japanese police dispute the sites claims, but they do acknowledge the difficulties in gathering sufficient evidence in such cases. Many of the gamblers, in fact, are unaware that their actions violate Japanese law.

Based on this situation, some experts fear that gambling addictions could increase in Japan.

The Asahi Shimbun and the Tokyo-based Japanese subsidiary of SimilarWeb, an Israeli digital analysis support company, conducted a study on how many people in Japan were using overseas online gambling sites.

The most popular casino site was Vera & John. Its monthly number of visits from Japan increased 119-fold from 648,000 in December 2018 to 77.51 million in January 2020, the study showed.

Although the figure declined to 19.88 million in August 2020, it rose again to 49.38 million in November.

The website states that it gained an operating license in Curacao, a Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea. It also encourages Japanese participation, stressing that it offers fair and just games everyone can enjoy safely and securely.

Worry that you may be arrested for gambling? Never worry about it! the Vera & John site says in Japanese.

Most online betting site operators are said to have obtained official licenses in nations where gambling is legal. A number of them also display messages in Japanese to attract Japanese users.

There are two major categories of gambling sites: online casinos and sports betting.

Among online sports betting services, bet365 received the largest number of views from Japanese, surging from 860,000 in December 2018 to a peak of 13.2 million in July 2020, according to the Asahi-SimilarWeb study.

Bet365s site says its license comes from Malta in southern Europe.

The increased popularity of online gambling coincides with the spreading use of cryptocurrencies. Advertisements on social media for online gambling have also become more prevalent.

Overseas customers can easily register on online betting sites; they only need to enter their names, addresses, bank account numbers and other information.

While credit cards or virtual currency can be used for payments, winnings are supposed to be sent via Japanese bank accounts and other means.

Most forms of gambling are prohibited in Japan. People who gamble on overseas-based sites while on Japanese soil are in breach of the criminal law, according to police.

They said some illegal gamblers have been nabbed.We will round up as many users as possible, a National Police Agency official said.

But it is difficult for investigators to gain the consent of server managers and other parties to collect evidence from bases in countries and regions where gambling is legal.

In response to an inquiry by The Asahi Shimbun, Vera & John affirmed that it operates in accordance with the license, so betting in cash with us will not pose any problems.

The operators of bet365 did not respond to inquiries.

EASY ADDICTION

A man in his 20s in the Kinki region started gambling on the internet a few years ago to make extra money. He came across Vera & John at a time when his monthly salary was 150,000 yen ($1,422).

I knew it was illegal, but I believed I would never be arrested, he said.

On one day, he spent 10,000 yen for one round of betting and wonabout 300,000 yen.

But now, his total losses have exceeded 2 million yen, so he is much more cautious about making bets.

Once I won, my financial sense became paralyzed, he said. Its terrifying that I can gamble so easily there.

A Chiba Prefecture resident in his 50s found his eldest son, who entered a college in the Kanto region six years ago, had become addicted to online gambling.

The father visited the sons home and found bills for student loans from three agents totaling nearly 1 million yen. The son reassured his father, saying, I can turn 20,000 yen into 100,000 yen or so.

Disturbed by the delusional comment, the father intervened and repaid the sons debt. But the following day, the student borrowed an additional 700,000 yen.The father realized the near-impossible task of getting gambling addicts to stop.

He was like a car with a broken brake, the man recalled.

He had his son take leave from college to receive treatment at a facility to overcome his addiction. The son has been discharged from the rehabilitation center but did not return to his familys home.

LOW AWARENESS OF ILLEGALITY

A Tokyo-based group that calls itself the international casino institute conducted a survey in December on 1,000 Japanese in their teens or older. It found that 2.3 percent of them participated in online betting at least once. That ratio would translate into about 2.88 million people nationwide.

The gambling rate was highest among men in their 40s, at 8.4 percent, and 4.8 percent of them said they have gambled within the past year.

Only 41 percent of the respondents said they knew online gambling was illegal in Japan, while 41 percent said it fell into a gray zone, and 18 percent believed it was legal.

Takashi Kiso, head of the group, said online casinos and sports betting services started spreading dramatically in the 2010s, largely because easier payments in bitcoin and other virtual currencies became common.

Dozens of online gambling operators are believed to run Japanese sites. The user numbers are reportedly rising because people lack awareness of the illegality and gambling sites are aggressively promoting their services through social media.

According to Kiso, betting over the internet is still not as common as other forms of gambling in Japan, and the country has no sufficient countermeasures against online gambling addiction

Blocking access to those sites or other strong means will be essential, Kiso said.

(This article was written by Tamiyuki Kihara and Kosuke Tauchi.

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More Japanese gambling online, many unaware that it's illegal : The Asahi Shimbun - Asahi Shimbun

The UK neobank has teamed up with open banking provider TrueLayer to enhance the reach of its popular gambling block feature, Crowdfund Insiderreports.

While Monzo customers can currently turn on a gambling block to prevent the usage of their card for payments to gambling companies, some gambling providers are shifting toward open banking-powered payments. TrueLayer will now use an API call to notify Monzo when a customer attempts to make an open banking payment to a gambling firm. Monzo can then prevent the completion of the payment if that customer has their gambling block activated.

Solid demand for spending limit capabilities has prompted incumbents and neobanks alike to add them to their personal finance management suites to drive customer acquisition and loyalty. The ability to set spending limits more broadly for a credit or debit card is popular: More than half (53%) of respondents to Insider Intelligence's UK Mobile Banking Competitive Edge 2020 survey called that capability "extremely" or "very" valuable.

And demand for gambling blocks more specifically is driving banks to offer them: HSBCaddeda self-restricting gambling block feature in November 2019, while Starlingenhancedits own tool with a 48-hour switch-off delay in March, for example. Monzo stated that its block, which has existed since 2018, has over 275,000 usersrepresenting 5.5% of Monzo's approximately 5 million totalclients.

The enhanced gambling block is one of several initiatives Monzo has pursued recently centered on its customers' financial health.In addition to broadening its own gambling block, Monzo this week alsocalledfor UK regulators to ensure that consumers have wider access to gambling blocks. And earlier this month, the neobank announced a partnership with Experian to offer customers access to Experian Boost, a service that leverages open banking to improve credit scores,perAltFi.

Experian Boost factors in a broader range of transactional data into credit scores than does traditional credit scoring, including money earned and spent, council tax payments, savings and investments, and subscription payments to services like Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon Prime.

These efforts that help clients stay on top of their financial health may not create competitive advantages for Monzogambling blocks are increasingly popular among UK banks and other neobanks can also integrate Experian's solutionbut they could increase existing customer loyalty as clients see Monzo taking action to help them improve their financial lives.

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Monzo's gambling block feature ups the ante with open banking - Business Insider