PTSB Becomes Fifth Irish Bank to Offer In-App Gambling Block Feature

PTSB, one of Ireland's largest retail banks, has launched an in-app gambling block feature allowing customers to voluntarily prevent card transactions with gambling operators. The move follows months of engagement between the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) and the Irish banking sector.

Growing Bank Support for Gambling BlocksPTSB now joins four other financial institutions offering gambling blocking facilities to Irish customers:

Bank of IrelandAIBEBSRevolutGRAI CEO Anne Marie Caulfield welcomed the initiative, describing it as "a proactive and valuable Consumer Protection measure helping to reduce the risk of gambling-related harms."

Regulator's Broader StrategyThe GRAI has been actively engaging with the Irish Banking Culture Board, the Irish Banking and Payments Federation, and individual banks to expand these blocking facilities across the sector.

Beyond bank blocking, the regulator is developing the National Gambling Exclusion Register, which will become operational following the commencement of GRAI's licensing function. The Gambling Regulation Act mandates that online operators must integrate with this register once live.

The GRAI also promotes additional harm reduction tools including gambling blocking software and online advertising restrictions, alongside operator-provided self-exclusion systems.