Illinois Lawmakers Want to Ban Credit Cards for Gambling

Gambling on credit has long been a frowned-upon practice, prompting most developed gambling markets to ban it altogether. In the United Kingdom, a restriction has been around for several years, as has in the Netherlands and Belgium, among other key jurisdictions.

Now, Reps. Curtis Tarver and Marti Deuter have pitched HB 4149 in Illinois, outlining a path to prohibiting the use of credit cards for gambling. The measure also seeks to prohibit the use of ATMs for distributing cash advances, essentially the same as gambling credit, too.

Illinois Pursues Ban on Credit Cards for All Gambling

The same measure and restriction would apply to lottery games, with vendors not being able to sell on credit. The bill specifically notes:

“No person shall sell a ticket or share at a price greater than that fixed by rule or regulation of the Department. No person other than a licensed lottery sales agent or distributor shall sell or resell lottery tickets or shares. No person shall charge a fee to redeem a winning ticket or share. No person shall sell a lottery ticket or share on a credit basis.”

The bill is well thought-out as it factors in the fact that land-based casinos do not allow credit cards, but they do have ATMs that can accept credit cards and dispense cash, which essentially amounts to the very same thing.

Illinois is not unlikely to shoot down the bill, or a similar proposal, too, as the Illinois Gaming Board, the state’s regulator, has already passed a similar restriction on the use of credit cards for sports betting. Other states have already pursued a similar restriction, hoping to start tackling gambling-related harm.

Credit Cards Already Banned in the US

Credit cards are banned for different reasons across the United States when it comes to gambling. In Tennessee, punters may not bet by using credit cards, much like in New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and elsewhere.

In the United States, using credit cards is central to the economy and financial culture, and attempts to restrict the use of this funding mechanism are generally perceived skeptically. However, in the case of gambling, there is enough evidence to suggest that some safeguards are necessary.

In Europe, Sweden recently introduced broader restrictions on gambling on credit that went beyond simple credit cards.