Gary Duffy, Head of Customer Policy,
Irish Banking Culture Board
“The Common Commitment of Care is helping to make a positive difference to those customers who need additional support and their families, who often live with the consequences of Problem Gambling. Voluntary Card Blocking works.”
Introduction
In August 2024, AIB, a leading retail Bank in Ireland and a member of the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB), announced a series of measures to support customers who were challenged by problem gambling, including the introduction of voluntary debit card blocking on registered gambling websites. This simple but powerful intervention enabled individuals to take an immediate step to reduce the financial harm.
What began as a single-bank initiative prompted a wider industry response which led to the IBCB undertaking a review into the nature and scale of problem gambling in Ireland. The findings supported concerns that problem gambling was a significant and growing challenge, affecting not only individuals, but families, workplaces and communities.
In response, the IBCB, in partnership with its member banks, AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB developed the Common Commitment of Care for Problem Gambling, which was launched in September 2025. The aim sets out to help those customers struggling with problem gambling and ensures that any customer, regardless of which bank they use, can access consistent, practical and compassionate support.
Rebuilding Trust Through Action
The Irish Banking Culture Board was established in 2019 as an independent body, in response to a prolonged erosion of public trust originally following the 2008 Great Financial Crisis and thereafter, subsequent industry challenges that faced the domestic banks. The IBCB mission is to rebuild trust and confidence among customers, while restoring pride in the sector for the 20,000 staff working across Ireland’s main retail banks.
Today, its member banks include AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB. While the banking landscape has evolved in recent years, the determination to support the customer has remained constant. Initiatives such as the Common Commitment of Care demonstrate how the sector can work collectively to respond to complex social challenges in a meaningful way.
Understanding Gambling in an Irish Context
Gambling has deep cultural roots in Ireland. From horse racing and sporting events to community-based activities such as bingo or card games, it has long formed part of social interaction and local identity. For many, it remains a recreational activity enjoyed responsibly.
However, the landscape has shifted. The traditional experience of placing a bet in a physical location has increasingly been replaced by online platforms, driven by smartphone technology and digital accessibility. This evolution has brought convenience—but it has also reduced barriers to entry, increasing exposure and risk for some individuals.
While the majority of people engage in gambling without harm, a significant minority experience behaviours that can escalate into serious financial and emotional consequences. It serves as a reminder that Problem Gambling is recognized as a significant public health issue. It is a behavioural addiction characterized by persistent, uncontrollable gambling that causes harm to the individual, their family and society posing health problems, financial difficulties and social harms.
The Scale of the Challenge
Research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) provides a clearer picture on the size of the cohort in Ireland:
- 3 percent of adults, approximately 130,000 people, are experiencing problem gambling
- A further 7 percent of adults, or 280,000 individuals, report problematic behaviours.
- There are also 15 percent, equating to around 600,000 people, who have experienced at least one negative gambling-related outcome.
- Fortunately, 75 percent of adults engage in gambling without evidence of harm.
These figures underline a critical point: while gambling is widely participated in, there is a substantial cohort for whom it presents real and escalating risks.
The impact extends far beyond the individual. Problem gambling can damage relationships, disrupt employment, place strain on finances and significantly affect mental health. It is, in many cases, a hidden issue—one that often remains unspoken until its consequences become severe and overwhelming.
Financial and Human Impact
The financial implications are stark. In Ireland, average net monthly income is c.€3,000, while those individuals who are struggling with problem gambling spend c.€1,000 per month on gambling activities. For many, this level of expenditure is simply unsustainable without reliance on additional credit or other forms of financial coping mechanisms.
This is particularly concerning in the context of ongoing cost-of-living pressures, which continue to rank among the top financial concerns for households. The IBCB undertakes an annual Éist Public Trust in Banking survey with the cost of living regularly featuring as the most pressing financial concern for consumers. The combination of financial vulnerability and gambling behaviour can create a cycle that is difficult to break without support.
The human impact is equally significant. Evidence from the Institute of Public Health has linked gambling to a number of suicide cases in Ireland, reinforcing the seriousness of this issue and the need for coordinated, accessible intervention.
A Collective Response: The Common Commitment of Care
Against this backdrop, the IBCB and its member banks came together to develop the Common Commitment of Care, which is a practical framework of measures, designed to support customers experiencing gambling-related harm.
At its core, the framework ensures that every customer can expect a consistent level of support, regardless of their bank. This is delivered through six key components:
- Dedicated Web page: Highlighting relevant background information and how individuals can seek help and support. A mainstream web page is an important step towards helping to destigmatize problem gambling.
- Dedicated customer support, offering empathetic, non-judgemental assistance through trained help desk teams.
- Specialist staff training, front-line and call centre staff typically attended training sessions with individuals with lived in experience of problem gambling to help them better relate to customers.
- Signposting to external support services, including organizations who provide counselling services 24/7 and debt guidance.
- Voluntary card blocking, enabling customers to restrict gambling transactions, supported by cooling-off safeguards.
- Commitment to ongoing enhancements via technology and innovation, including the potential role of data and AI in strengthening future support.
Together, these measures not only provide immediate assistance and reduce the risk of financial harm but also set out to reduce stigma and encourage earlier engagement with support services.
Early Impact and Progress
Six months on from its launch, the Common Commitment of Care is making a tangible difference. Nearly 10,000 customers have activated voluntary card blocking, demonstrating both awareness of and demand for practical tools that support behaviour change.
Feedback from customers, families and advocacy groups has been overwhelmingly positive. In some cases, individuals have described the intervention as life-changing, highlighting the real-world impact of relatively simple but well-designed support mechanisms.
The initiative has also been recognized by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland as an example of effective industry collaboration and emerging best practice.
Looking Ahead
While progress is encouraging, this remains a long-term challenge. Gambling behaviours continue to evolve, and the tools used to support customers must evolve alongside them.
The IBCB is committed to extending the principles of the Common Commitment of Care beyond its current member banks, including engagement with other financial institutions such as credit unions. There is also significant potential to harness technology and data in a responsible way to further enhance customer protections.
Ultimately, this initiative represents more than a set of interventions—it signals a shift in how the banking sector can approach customer well-being. It demonstrates that meaningful collaboration, underpinned by a shared sense of responsibility, can deliver tangible outcomes for individuals and society.
As the sector continues to rebuild trust, initiatives such as this play a critical role in showing that banks can be proactive partners in addressing complex social issues—supporting customers not only in managing their finances, but in navigating the challenges that can impact their lives more broadly.
